Court remands unemployed man for robbery

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a 27-year-old unemployed man into Police Custody for allegedly stealing money and jewellery belonging to a lawyer.

Malik Alhassan, aka “Goliath,” was said to have stolen 115,300 dollars, GH₵52,000.00, 800 pounds sterling, 3,000 Euros, and unspecified amounts of other foreign currencies.

He was charged with robbery.

His accomplices, Mustapha Mumuni aka “Starboy,” a 42-year-old Ex-footballer, and Zuberu Mustapha aka “One Corner”, a 25-year-old scrap dealer were jointly held for dishonestly receiving.

Alhassan and Mumuni have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.

But Zuberu’s plea was not taken because the Court had to get a Dagbani translator for him.

The prosecutor, Superintendent of Police (Supt), Augustus Yirenkyi, asked the Court to remand the accused persons for further investigation.

“Because of the mandatory 48-hour, that is why we rushed the accused persons to Court. Please we need some time to investigate the case since Alhassan said Mumuni and Zuberu gave him cocaine to enable him to do the robbery,” he said.

The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, thus remanded all the accused persons into Police custody to reappear on April 20, 2023, for Zuberu’s plea to be taken.

The facts as presented by the prosecution were that the complainant, a Lawyer resided at Premier Palace, Airport Residential Area, Accra while the accused persons were residents of Adabraka-Sahara.

The prosecution said on March 26, 2023, at about 0204 hours, Alhassan with two other accomplices that are yet to be arrested, went to the complainant’s residence whilst his other partners in crime surrounded the house.

It said Alhassan, who was masked and armed with a pistol, entered the room of the complainant, attacked, and robbed her of USD114,500, GH₵50,000.00, 800 Pounds Sterling and 3,000 Euros, which were in a trunk in her closet.

The prosecution said Alhassan also took away another GH₵2,000.00, USD800.00, and unspecified amounts of other foreign currencies including her jewellery.

It said Alhassan, after robbing the complainant, instructed the complainant to remain in the room for him and his accomplices to leave or they would kill her.

The prosecution said the complainant made a report to the Police and Police intelligence led to the arrest of Alhassan who was captured by a CCTV camera of his entry and exit from the complainant’s residence.

It said Alhassan mentioned Mumuni and Zuberu as those he gave the stolen money.

The prosecution said Mumuni and Zuberu were arrested and during investigations, Mumuni admitted receiving GH₵2,000.00 from Alhassan on March 27, 2023.

“Zuberu admitted having received a laptop from Alhassan,” it said.

Alhassan insisted that he gave USD500.00 to Zuberu and further stated that, before they went for the robbery, Mumuni and Zuberu gave him cocaine to boost his energy for the robbery.

The prosecution said efforts were being made to apprehend the other accomplices.