Chaka Zulu, three others plead not guilty to conspiracy, robbery

Accra, March 14, GNA - Richard Kobina, aka Chaka Zulu, and three others, who were accused of robbing a Nigerian businessman and his friends at gun point at Baatsona in Accra, on Monday pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and robbery.

Appearing before an Accra High Court, Kobina, a private security man, and his accomplices, namely, Wise Gray, a clearing agent, Abass Baba Richard, a trader, and Paul Owusu, a draughtsman, were remanded into Police custody to reappear on March 28. Mr John Tulasi Ofori, a State Attorney, prayed the court to remand the accused persons into police custody. Mr Ofori informed the court that the State was ready to start the case because they had gathered their witnesses although the complainant was out of the court's jurisdiction.

All the accused persons were without lawyers except Richard. The case of the prosecution is that the complainant is a Nigerian businessman resident at Baatsona in Accra. The prosecutor said on June 12, 2010, Owusu and the rest of the accuse= d persons attacked and robbed the complainants and his friends at gun point a= t their residence in Baastona. The accused persons, who were in masks made away with five laptops, GH¢150 cash and a wrist watch valued GH¢ 200. The prosecutor said Owusu stole the spare keys of the complainant's car but the alarm went off when he attempted to bolt with it. On realizing that they would be apprehended Owusu abandoned the car an= d boarded a taxi.

The prosecutor said the complainant took another key of the car and chased the accused persons. In the process, he (complainant) knocked Owusu down who was apprehended and escorted him to the Police station but his accomplices escaped.

On July 2010, the prosecutor said Richard was arrested in a different robbery case at Dansoman and he told the Police that he had taken part in a number of robberies and mentioned Kobina, Owusu and Gray as his accomplices in the robbery incident at Baatsona.

The Prosecutor said three of the laptops wrapped in polythene bag were found with Richard. On August 18, 2010, Owusu led the police to arrest Kobina and Gray.