Forgive me – Suspect in Koala robbery pleads

One of the accused persons in the Koala Shopping Centre Robbery incident has asked for forgiveness.

Okoe Quarcoe told Lydia Horsu, the victim who made her maiden appearance in Court, that she should also forgive him as he did not know why he and his colleague crossed her. Quarcoe, who was without a lawyer, said he bypassed the victim with his motor bicycle but he did not cross her as she had alleged.

He made these statements when Ms Horsu testified and she was cross- examined by lawyers of the rest of the accused persons at an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday.

Answering questions under cross-examination from Stanley Obaliko, the victim maintained that it was Obaliko who shot her and took away her bag. According to the victim, she could identify Obaliko because he raised the helmet he was wearing. She maintained that it was Obaliko who struggled with her for her bag.

Ms Horsu, who was in clutches and POP, said she had no problems with her supervisor, Gilbert Osabutey aka Obolo, a Supervisor of the Koala Shopping Centre. Led in evidence by a Chief Superintendent of Police, Duuti Tuaruka, the prosecutor, Ms Horsu admitted knowing the accused persons. Day of incident She said on the day of the incident she went to the Osu Branch of Koala, and later to the Cantonments branch.

At the Osu Branch, the victim said she did not see Osabutey in the shop. However, she met Osabutey in front of the shop when she was leaving. The victim said while she was heading to the Airport Branch, on reaching the US Embassy, a motor bike with two persons on board crossed her.

According to the victim, Obaliko and Quarcoe who were on the motor bike, instructed her to give her bag to them. The victim said when she declined; Obaliko struggled with her over her bag while he held a gun in his other hand. Ms Horsu said her bag contained documents from the Shop.

The accused persons, Osabutey, Michael Edor Ahiataku aka Old soldier, a private security man, and Frederick Sedro Kwame, who have been charged with conspiracy to rob, have pleaded not guilty. Obaliko and Quarcoe sustained injuries during the robbery incident and they were on admission since January 9, this year.

Appearing before the Court, Obaliko and Quarcoe pleaded guilty to the charges of robbery. However, the Court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh, after listening to their explanation entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf.

Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Duuti Tuaruka said the complainant in the case was Lydia Horsu, a Marketing Administrator with the Shopping Centre, who went round daily to collect the previous day’s sales to the head office.

On January 6, this year, Osabutey, Ahiataku and Kwame hatched a plan to rob the Shopping Centre and sought the assistance of the two others, now at large, who also recruited Obaliko and Quarcoe to carry out the plan.

The Prosecution said on January 8, this year, around 2000hrs, all the accused persons met at the Koala Shopping Centre at Cantonments and Osabutey, who was a supervisor at the Cantonments Branch, briefed them about the movement of the complainant.

The prosecutor said the accused persons agreed to rob the complainant the following day. On January 9, at about 0800hrs, the complainant went to the Koala Shopping Centre, Cantonments, but she decided to pick the Company’s invoice and voucher to audit them and left for the head office at the Airport.

On seeing the complainant leave the office, Osabutey alerted the accused persons through phone calls and Obaliko and Quarcoe boarded a BMW motor bike and moved closer to the Koala head office. Obaliko and Quarcoe trailed the complainant to a point near the American Embassy at Cantonments.

The Prosecution said Obaliko who was then the pillion rider alighted, drew out a pistol at the complainant and ordered her to surrender her handbag to him. Chief Supt Tuaruka said Ms Horsu refused to comply and raised the alarm. He said this infuriated Obaliko who pushed the complainant down and shot her twice in her thigh and calf and after which he (Obaliko) and Quarcoe sped off.

A taxi driver, who witnessed the incident, chased them with his vehicle and hit their motor bike. Police investigations, however, led to the arrest of the rest of the accused persons. Chief Supt. Tuaruka said the victim, who was shot twice by the accused persons, is on admission at the 37 Military Hospital, responding to treatment.

The Prosecution said the Police were conducting further investigations to arrest the two other accomplices who are now at large. Hearing Continues on April 4.