Kwabena Asare, alias Kwabby, 34 and businessman, has allegedly robbed Clement Amo Baffour, also known as Osikanie, a Goldsmith at Adabraka, off GH¢270,000.00.
The accused has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢300,000.00 with three sureties, with one to be justified by landed property worth the amount.
Kwabby was arraigned on conspiracy to commit crime and robbery, but pleaded not guilty to both counts before being admitted to bail by the Accra Circuit Court ‘11’, presided over by His Honour Oheneba Kuffour yesterday.
The prosecuting officer, ASP Augustine Nyamekye, told the court that Abubakari Sadick Issaka is a forex bureau operator and a resident of Kasoa, while the accused is a businessman living at Amomole Canada.
He said on January 13, 2023, Kwabby called the complainant, Osikanie, that he wanted to change £20,000 into Ghana cedis. The complainant obliged because he had known the accused for quite some time as dealing in forex.
ASP Nyamekye added that the complainant immediately contacted one Alhaji Zibo Issaka to raise the said amount and change for accused.
Alhaji Issaka also dispatched Abubakari Sadick Issaka with the mobile number of the accused together with the cash in the sum of GH¢270,000.00 for the forex exchange.
He narrated to the court that Issaka, on arrival, met the accused at Achimota Mile 7 Astro Turf area for the exchange, but Kwabby insisted on carrying Issaka to a nearby house for the pounds to be changed into cedis.
The court heard that when Issaka sat in the accused RAV4 vehicle, he met one other person by name Wofa (at large), who pointed a gun at him to surrender the money. Issaka without hesitation surrendered the money and run for his life.
Issaka then informed Alhaji Issaka about the robbery. The complainant was then arrested for plotting the robbery and made to pay the money.
The matter was reported to the CID Headquarters, for which the police detected that the same modus operandi was used in a series of robberies against forex bureau operators.
On April 13, 2023, the accused was arrested for a similar offence by another police unit and was handed over to the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit for investigation.
The prosecutor said the accused admitted knowing the complainant as a friend during investigations.
He said intelligence revealed that the accused, indeed, called the complainant on February 13, 2023, before staging the alleged robbery.
On April 18, an identification parade was conducted at CID Headquarters where Issaka and the complainant identified the accused as the person who called and robbed the GH¢270,000.00.
Issaka again readily identified the RAV4 vehicle used by the accused on the day of the alleged robbery, adding that an investigation was underway to arrest Kwabby’s accomplice.
