Crime & Punishment of Monday, 5 October 2015

Source: Daily Guide

Chinese man’s driver arrested over robbery

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A 28-year-old driver of a Chinese businessman who gave details about his master to an armed robbery gang to rob him has found himself in the grips of the Tema Regional Police Command.

The suspect, Eric Osei, who was apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Tema Police Command, was said to have given details of his boss, Sun Hon Oi, including a picture of him, to his accomplices and the time and place to strike.

Eric’s accomplice, Saviour Delali Adjomah, alias Don aka Spoon, was also arrested at his hideout at Community 9, Tema but Haruna, who is a loading boy, and another suspect whose name was given as Oko are at large.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng told DAILY GUIDE that the syndicate planned, attacked and robbed the Chinese national of GHc25,000 and inflicted knife wounds on his ears.

She said on September 28, 2015 at about 5:30 pm the Chinese man, who trades in apples and garlic, was attacked and robbed at the entrance to his house at Community 3, Tema, by two men who were on a motorbike and armed with a pump action gun and a knife.

After the robbery incident, according to the police spokeswoman, the Chinese man lodged a complaint and the police initiated investigations into the case.

According to her, investigations led to the arrest of the driver of the Chinese man. She added that Eric confessed during interrogations to being part of the robbery syndicate of three who conspired and robbed his boss.

ASP Obeng said Saviour mentioned Haruna as the main architect of the act and that he further engaged another suspect, who is currently on the run, to assist in the robbery.

Facts

The Police PRO explained that investigations revealed that suspect Eric was a trotro driver from Accra who relocated to Tema in 2012 when he had a job at Tsing Tao Restaurant in Community 6, Tema.

She said the victim found the suspect at the restaurant and employed him as his personal driver to help in the distribution of vegetables to women at the Agbogbloshie, Makola and Nima markets in Accra.

On the said date of the robbery, the victim and suspect Eric, ASP Obeng pointed out, had gone round to collect monies owed the victim by the women he had supplied goods to on credit.

She added that suspect Eric then notified his two accomplices, who then intercepted the victim at the entrance of his house and robbed him of the said amount and inflicted knife wounds on him and fled.

She noted that the incident was reported to the Tema Police, who upon intelligence, picked up suspect Eric Osei who also led police to arrest the other suspect from his hideout.

“When they were interrogated about the whereabouts of the money, they stated that GH¢3,100 was given to Saviour—the one riding the motorbike at the time of the robbery—whilst one Oko, who supplied them with the pump action gun, received GHc2,000 as his share of the booty. The third person who was introduced by Haruna and was wielding the gun at the time of the robbery also received GHc2,500.

“When queried about the whereabouts of the balance of the money, they stated that they did not know where it was. Meanwhile, Saviour’s share has since been retrieved.

“Oko who is suspected to be the mastermind behind the robbery and a couple of other robberies mainly within the Ashaiman Municipality and its environs and his accomplice, Karim, 27, have been on the wanted list of the Regional Command for a long time for robbery and supplying of arms to robbers within Ashaiman and its surrounding areas,” the Tema Police spokeswoman further stated.

The suspects, according to ASP Obeng, will be arraigned before court after investigations are completed.