Caprice Robbery: Court orders prosecution to appear in court

An Accra Circuit Court has threatened to strike out the case involving five persons, including a pregnant woman nabbed in the robbery of a Chinese national at Caprice in Accra on December 9, if the prosecution failed to turn up in court.

When the matter was called, the prosecution was absent in court.

The Court presided over by Afia Owusua Appiah, noted that at the last sitting, the main prosecutor was absent and another police officer held his brief.

It said by the next adjourned date if the substantive prosecutor failed to appear in court, it would strike out the matter.

The case has been adjourned to April 19.

The five accused persons accused of robbing the Chinese woman of GH¢410,000, $8,000, and two iPhones are Prince Anthony Chiobi, Izichuku Igwenagu, Emmanuella Chinwetalu, a pregnant woman, Martin Ahamafula Onwukwa, and Godfred Chukuebuka, aka, Caleb.

The sixth accused person, Yaw John Darko Ikenna, is said to be at large.

The five accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery and robbery.

The case of the prosecution is that 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.

It said the Regional Police on receipt of the information dispatched police personnel to the scene to ascertain the facts and investigate. 

The prosecution said the victim informed the Police that the robbers took her GH¢370,000 which she had earlier cashed from Standard Chartered Bank, West Hills Mall branch on the day of the incident.

According to the prosecution, the victim 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.

It said police intelligence revealed that the suspects were involved in the crime and that they were at a hideout at Buduburam.

The prosecution said when the Police got there, the robbers allegedly engaged them in a shootout which resulted in the deaths of Nneji Harrison Ogbona and another.

“These suspects before the court were apprehended later while others escaped. During investigations, it emerged that the suspects met at Igwenagu’s drinking spot at Buduburam and planned the crime,” the prosecution told the court. 

It said investigations revealed that Ikenna now at large, had agreed with Godfred Chukuebuka, aka, Caleb, who had been convicted for 10 years by another Circuit Court,for a similar offence, to commit the crime.

The prosecution told the court that investigations also indicated that, “the suspects entered Ghana through unapproved routes with the intention to commit a crime and go back”.

It 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) to join him in Nigeria.

The accused persons excluding Godfred Chukuebuka, aka, Caleb, an ex-convict, are on bail.