Crime & Punishment of Friday, 5 January 2024

Source: GNA

Two persons granted bail over phone, earpiece robbery

File photo of a court gavel File photo of a court gavel

Two persons, who allegedly robbed a driver of his mobile phones, phone accessories and an amount of money, have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused persons are Ike Oppong, a shop attendant and Charles Lamptey, a contractor.

Oppong and Lamptey are said to have pulled out a knife and scissors to put fear and trauma on the driver and succeeded in taking the said items and the money.

They are jointly held for conspiracy to commit crime and robbery. They pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, their accomplice, Nana Yaw, who was also charged with the same offences, is at large.

The Court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful admitted Oppong and Lamptey to a bail off GH₵50,000.00 each with two sureties each to be justified.

It directed that one of the sureties should earn not less than GH₵2,500.00 a month.

The case has been adjourned to January 31, 2024.

Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor told the Court that the complainant Mr Oketeku Samuel was a driver and resided in Dzorwulu, while Oppong and Lamptey were residents of Akweteyman and Santa Maria respectively.

The prosecution said on December 17, 2023, at about 0530 hours the complainant, who was a taxi driver was on his routine work when Oppong and Nana Yaw stopped him at Dzorwulu junction and requested his services to convey them to Tema Community 18 junction.

It said on reaching a section of Community 18 junction, Oppong and Nana Yaw pulled a knife and scissors on the complainant and succeeded in robbing him of his two mobile phones, a power bank, an earpiece, and a cash sum of GH₵400.

The prosecution said a few hours later, the complainant’s family members received a series of phone calls from the robbers demanding money from them and they lured the robbers to meet them at Shiashi to take the said money from them.

It said Oppong and Lamptey were finally intercepted and arrested at the Airport Police station where they were detained for further investigation.

The prosecution said the Police Station at Community 18 was subsequently informed where Oppong and Lamptey were brought to assist in further investigation.

It said that at the charge office, Oppong and Lamptey denied the offences in their investigation cautioned statement and stated that it was Nana Yaw, who contacted them to go and take the money for him.