Houseboy Conspires With Robbers To Attack Master

Braimah Illiasu, 19, a houseboy of Mr Yaw "Yapo" Poku, a prominent Kumasi businessman, on December 19, conspired with seven armed robbers to attack his master at his Fankyenbra residence in Kumasi.

At gun-point, they robbed Mr Poku of ?1.5 million cash, three suitcases, wrist-watches, two mobile phones and other items. But two days later, one of the phones given to the houseboy as part of his share of the booty, exposed him as the architect behind the robbery leading to the arrest of three of the robbers.

Mr Poku’s intelligence did the trick. He dialled the number of one of the stolen phones only to realise that it was belling in the pocket of the houseboy who was standing a few metres away from him in the house. He was immediately arrested and handed over to the Police Buffalo Unit for investigations.

Briefing the ‘Times’ here yesterday, a police source said that Mr Poku returned home from London on a business trip on December 19. A few hours after his arrival, a gang of armed robbers attacked his residence in the night. Amidst the firing of warning shots, the robbers ordered Mr Poku and his wife to lie on the floor while they ransacked the rooms.

They bolted with ?1.5 million cash, three suitcases which Mr Poku brought from London, a number of wrist watches, two mobile phones and other items. Upon the arrest of the houseboy following his exposure by the phone, he mentioned the names of the other seven suspects. Two of the seven, Emmanuel Bugri Dok, 24 a garden boy and Moses Peter, 22, a labourer, have been arrested while the rest are on the run. A briefcase and a video deck being part of the stolen items were retrieved from Moses.