Four persons, a policeman, a female blogger, tutor, and one other, have allegedly robbed four Indian businessmen off GH¢595,665.00, US$45,140.00, and valuables.
They are Helena Teye, 32 and self-styled blogger (A1), Abednego Bortier, 44 and a policeman stationed at the Nima Police Station (A2), Francis Omari, 43 and a tutor at IPMC, and Elizabeth Teye, who is a large (A4).
The accused persons were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court yesterday, on the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and robbery. Their pleas were not taken, however, taken.
The presiding judge, Her Honour Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, has remanded them into police custody.
Mrs. Quarshie granted an application made by the prosecution for the retrieved items to be released to the complainants.
The accused persons allegedly robbed the items from the complainants – Girish Saohwani, Manish Kumar, Bhosale Vijay Kantilal, and Lalwani Sumy Kumar – who live at Osu in Accra.
The court was told by the prosecuting officer, Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo, that on July 19, 2023, at about 08:00 hours, the accused persons went to the residence of the complainants and knocked on the door.
He said Abednego was dressed in a police uniform, and introduced themselves as a Special Investigation Team which had been detailed to conduct an investigation into illegal activities their intelligence had gathered.
He narrated that the accused persons handcuffed the complainants, ransacked their rooms, and with threats and intimidation robbed them off the items indicated on the charge sheet.
Aside the monies listed, the accused persons also robbed their victims off one iPhone 12 Pro Max, one iPhone 11, two iPhone 7, one Infinix phone, one HP laptop, one Dell laptop, one iPhone 13, and four India passport.
The accused persons allegedly packed the items into a waiting Nissan Sentra saloon car and drove away.
A report was made to the police and an investigation was initiated during which Abednego was tracked and identified as the police officer in uniform, who accompanied the others, and he was arrested.
He said during interrogation, Abednego confessed to the offence and led the police to his house at Dzorwulu, where cash of GH¢185,105.00 and US$22,500.00 were retrieved.
Abednego mentioned Helena, Francis and Elizabeth as his accomplices.
The prosecutor added that on July 22, 2023, investigations led to the arrest of Helena at Legon Gardens who confirmed to the offence during interrogation.
However, Helena claimed that the complainants were engaging in money laundring, hence, their action.
She was subsequently accompanied by the police to her house at Lakeside, where she claimed about GH¢63,800.00 was being kept, which was her share of the booty.
Upon persistent interrogation, she confessed that she had moved the money from her room to a friend at Teshie, when she got wind of the arrest of Abednego.
Helena then led the police to the said friend at Teshie where cash of GH¢242,100.00 and US$18,640.00 were retrieved.
Francis was also tracked and apprehended at Osu, near Danquah Circle.
He also confesses to the offence and led the investigators to his house at Amasaman-Fise, where cash in the sum of GH¢64,920.00 and US$2,000.00 were retrieved.
The passports, laptops and mobile phones were kept in Abednego’s Hyundai salon car, which was parked at the premises of IPMC, Nkrumah Circle, and all were retrieved.
On July 23, 2023, the accused persons led the police to the crime scene and demonstrated how they succeeded in robbing the complainants.
Further investigations revealed that the complainants, who operate a supermarket at Osu, after close of work each day sent their daily sales home.
Helena had wind of it and organised the other accused persons to embark on an action to frightening and robbed them off their monies.
The court was told that the accused persons also filmed their action which video was retrieved from Helena’s laptop.
After the act, the accused went to the private residence of Abednego at La and shared the booty.
The police have retrieved a total sum of GH¢595,665.00 and US$45,140.00 from the accused persons.
