Tema, April 30, GNA -- The plan of performing his father's funeral in a grand style got shattered as Kwasi Appenteng, an armed robber was apprehended in the midst of the mourners for his involvement in an armed robbery case at Sakomono near Tema.

He was arrested while lavishly giving out money to mourners at the funeral grounds at Akim Akropong.

Appenteng confessed his participation in the crime to the Kibi Police who initially arrested him and informed the Tema Police who followed up and conducted a search at his house where two locally manufactured pistols, one double barrelled and the other a revolver with one 22 live ammunition were retrieved.

This was contained in a release issued by the Tema Regional Police Commander ACP Daniel Odai.

It stated that Appenteng led the robbery at the Forex Bureau at Sakomono together with Chaka, now at large and Afetor who was killed in the act while Felix Bortey also an accomplice was arrested upon a tip-off.

According to the release, after robbing the Bureau they hired a taxi for 3.5 million cedis to a hotel at Accra New Town where they shared their booty and parted company.

Appenteng claimed he was recruited into the robbery by one Dada, now on the run while Jigiri and Afeto now deceased used to bring the locally manufactured weapons from the Volta Region to Nungua for sale. On April 20, 2005 the Forex Bureau at the Sakomono Estates was robbed during which unspecified amount of money was taken away in sacks and one of them, Afetor was killed.

The release however, claimed that so far there has been a downward trend in crime rate in the region as 29 cases of robbery were reported as against 37 in the same period last year with eleven suspects on remand.

In respect of murder, five cases have been recorded as against seven, while stealing, defilement, indecent assault and trespassing have reduced.