Crime & Punishment of Sunday, 21 August 2016

Source: GNA

Nigerian businessman remanded for robbing student

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A Nigerian businessman, Kingsley Ifechukwu Nwoke, who allegedly robbed a man of GH?110,000.00 after smashing the windscreen of his vehicle at Airport City has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Nwoke, charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery, pleaded not guilty.

Nwoke, who prayed the court to speak Twi while his plea was taken, has been remanded into police custody by the court, presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh. He is expected to reappear on August 31.

The court, however, ordered the police to expedite action in apprehending the rest of the accomplices; one Ebuka and another now at large.

Prosecuting Detective Chief Inspector Isaac Agbemahia told the court that the complainant George Kodua Hamilton is a graduate student residing at East Legon.

He said Nwoke was a self-acclaimed businessman residing at Accra New Town.

On August 9, this year, at about 2:30 pm, the complainant in the company of one Felix Tetteh Kennedy at the instance of Mrs Rose Hamilton went to cash a cheque for GH? 150,000.00 from First Atlantic Bank, Airport Residential Area branch.

Prosecution said the monies were parcelled in two brown envelopes. One envelope contained GH?40,000.00 and the other GH?110,000.00.

Chief Inspector Agbemahia said the monies were placed in the booth of a Toyota land cruiser with registration number WR 3366 X and it was driven by Kennedy.

On their way home, they got stuck in traffic at Airport second traffic light and Nwoke, who was driving a motorbike while his accomplices trailed the complainant, caught up with him.

Prosecution said Nwoke smashed the complainant’s back windscreen and picked one of the envelopes and passed it on to the pillion rider of the other motorbike operated by Ebuka.

Whiles escaping Nwoke and his accomplices collided with a taxi cab with registration number GC 469-15. The driver of the taxi and the complainant apprehended Nwoke while his accomplices escaped with the money.

The complainant run to the bank with one of the envelopes only to realised that it contained GH?40,000.00 meaning that Nwoke’s accomplices escaped with the GH?110,000.00. Nwoke, during police interrogation, admitted the offence and mentioned Ebuka and the third accomplice he did not know.