One of the accused persons arrested in connection with the Caprice robbery incident has been granted GH¢100k bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused, Emmanuella Chinwetalu, who is also pregnant, was granted bail with four sureties to be a resident within the jurisdiction.
But the four other accused persons were remanded into police custody pending further investigations.
The four suspects are Prince Anthony Chiobi, Izichuku Igwenagu, Martin Ahamafula and Godfred Chukubuka, aka Caleb, who is now a serving convict.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, said the police were still on the heels of the sixth accused person — Yaw John Darko Ikenna — said to be at large.
“We need more time to get to the sixth accused person and some others we believe were part of the accused persons who perpetrated the crime. The prosecution is liaising with International Police (INTERPOL), Nigeria, to get the sixth accused person arrested and brought to Ghana to face justice.
“We are, therefore, praying the court to extend the accused persons’ remand in police custody so that we can get the sixth accused person who is the kingpin or leader of this notorious robbery group,” the prosecution pleaded.
But the defence lawyer objected.
Counsel for the accused persons, Edward Nana Asare and Andrew Vortia, prayed for the court to admit the accused persons to bail, but the court turned down their request.
The case has been adjourned to January 9, 2023.
Facts of the case
On December 9, 2022, the Accra Regional Police Command had information that some armed men on motorbikes had attacked, shot and robbed a Chinese woman of some valuables at Caprice, a suburb in Accra.
The regional police, on receipt of the information, dispatched police personnel to the scene to ascertain the act and investigate.
On reaching the scene, the victim informed the police that the robbers took her GH¢370,000, which she had earlier cashed from the Standard Chartered Bank West Hills Mall branch on the day of the incident.
The victim further stated that she also had cash in the sum of GH¢40,000 and $8,000 as well as two iPhones (iPhone 11 and 8+), all stolen.
After days of investigations, police intelligence revealed that the “suspects before this honourable court and others were involved in the crime, and it emerged that they were at a hideout at Buduburam”.
But when the police got to the hideout, the robbers engaged in a shootout resulting in the deaths of Nneji Harrison Ogbonna and another suspect.
The accused persons were later apprehended, while others escaped.
During investigations, it emerged that the suspects met at Igwenagu’s drinking spot at Buduburam and planned the crime.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that Ikenna, now at large, had agreed with Godfred Chukubuka, who had been convicted for 10 years by another Circuit Court for a similar offence, to commit the crime.
The investigation also indicated that the accused persons entered Ghana through unapproved routes to commit crime and go back.
The prosecution said the police had received information that Ikenna was hiding in Nigeria and that he had sent money GH¢1,300 as transportation for his wife (Emmanuella, the third accused person) to join him in Nigeria.
It is on these grounds that the accused persons have been hauled before the Accra Circuit Court.
All five have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
