Ewe king who rules from Germany via Skype robbed

An African King who governs his kingdom via Skype has had his four gold crowns stolen from his home in Germany.

King Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah returned from an evening out to discover that thieves had broken in his home in Ludwigshafen, roughly 49 miles south of Frankfurt, and made off with most of his royal regalia, including the crowns and golden chains from his grandparents.

The 66-year-old king of the Hohoe area of southeastern Ghana moved to Germany as a foreign exchange student but stayed after falling in love with his now-wife Gabrielle.

“Thieves had come over the balcony on the first floor, prised the door open, smashed the cabinets and ransacked everything,” he told The Times.

Although the value of the items was placed at around £15,900 but the King argues the collection is irreplaceable to his family and country.

King Basah was crowned in 1987 after his grandfather, the reigning king, died.

He was chosen over his elder brother and father because both are left-handed, an attribute that his people believe is unclean and indicative of dishonesty.

Despite living in Germany, where he runs a garage, King Basah still governs the 200,000 Hohoe people through Skype and telephone calls, often staying up late into the night to rule on tribal disputes.

He has become a minor local celebrity, appearing regularly on TV and local events.

He has campaigned on behalf of his country, helping them secure medical aid – in the form of 22 doctors in the areas hospital – and regularly sending over equipment for water purification.