Two in court for robbery of electronic gadgets - Two others for receiving them
Two persons, 43-year-old, Edward Kweku Sena and 35-year-old, Derrick Botchway, who allegedly robbed an online trader of electronic gadgets totalling GH¢126, 300 have been brought before an Accra Circuit Court.
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Also before the court is a 32-year-old trader, Okoh Chuks, and Enoch Okyere aka Lawerh, who have been charged for allegedly dishonestly receiving the booty.
The accused persons, were before the court presided over by Mrs Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie last Tuesday. Sena and Botchway both pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery. Chuks and Okyere also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly receiving.
According to the prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, other accomplices, Dennis, Quaye, Don and Benjamin Addo were at large.
Subsequently, the presiding Judge, Mrs Quarshie, admitted each of them to bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties. They were also ordered to drop their passports, copies of Voter's ID or Ghana Cards at the court registry and to report to the police once a week. The case has been adjourned to April 30, 2024.
Facts of the case
According to the prosecution, the complainant, whose name was given as Amano, is an online trader who lives in Lashibi, Accra, while the first accused, Chuks, is a phone dealer.
The second, third and fourth accused persons, Sena, Okyere and Botchway were said to be a Cadet instructor, a businessman and a driver respectively. According to the prosecution, on February 12, 2024, the complainant advertised an Apple iPad Pro worth GH¢7,000 on the online trading website, jiji.com.
A supposed buyer then contacted him to purchase, leading to a meeting at the LEKMA Polyclinic in Teshie, Accra at 5 p.m. The complainant, who was to make other sales, arrived at the meeting place with other goods but was however allegedly handcuffed and held at gunpoint by individuals who posed as policemen and robbed him of all his goods.
The prosecution said the goods included 12 Samsung Galaxy tablets worth GH¢79, 200, six Apple iPad tablets worth GH¢16, 600, one iPhone 13 pro max worth GH¢8, 400, and a Dell laptop worth GH¢3,500.
The prosecution added that the robbers also collected an iPad 3 Air worth GH¢ 4,500, an iPhone 12 Pro Max worth GH¢ 6,500, a Samsung Galaxy A12 mobile phone worth GH¢1,500, three Samsung Galaxy keyboards worth GH¢4,500, two Samsung Galaxy cases worth GH¢200, and an iPad keyboard worth GH¢1,400.
The attackers then abandoned the complainant around the Palace Mall on Spintex Road, Accra. He thus quickly reported the incident to the police and a thorough investigation was done by the Crime Investigation Department.
ASP Haligah said Chuks was arrested on February 14, 2024, around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra, with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and during interrogation, confessed to receiving the tablet from one of the accomplices, Dennis (at large).
The prosecutor added that on March 22, 2024, Sena and Addo were spotted in their car around the LEKMA Hospital in Accra which led to Sena's arrest while Addo managed to escape.
He said after a search of the car, one handcuff, a police force GoTa phone and a desert boot was found. ASP Haligah told the court that, Okyere and Botchway were later on apprehended at their hideouts. During interrogations, they admitted to robbing the victim with the help of Quaye, who is at large.
They also told the police they sold the stolen goods to Addo, Don, and Dennis and this was facilitated by Okyere. During an identification parade on February 25, 2024, the complainant identified Sena and Botchway as part of the group that robbed him on February 12, 2024.
ASP Haligah added that police investigations found that on February 12, 2024, Botchway, Sena and Quaye, posed as policemen from the CID Headquarters, robbed the complainant of his goods and sold some to Chuks, Addo and Dennis through Okyere.
