Tema police arrest notorious robber

Tema, Feb. 19, GNA - The Tema Regional Command on Friday night arrested a notorious jailbird, Emmanuel Sackey Tetteh alias Mpata for terrorising residents of Accra and Tema.

Soon after released from the prison, where he served for eight years, Tetteh, an artist and sign writer, who is a father of four and hails from Kpone, resumed his robbery business but this time, he and his accomplices now concentrate on day-time robbery, targeting people who cash monies from banks in Tema and Accra.

Both Ghanaians and foreigners have fallen victims to their 18 robbery operations from which they got huge sums of monies.

Briefing newsmen at his office on Saturday, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Daniel Laryea Odai said his outfit had a tip-off that Tetteh, who lives at Tema Manhean was preparing to undergo a robbery operation the following night.

Acting on the information, a team of policemen led by ACP John Ackah was dispatched to the hideout at Tema Manhean and met Tetteh preparing to strike and was captured after resistance.

The police, he said retrieved from him 1.1 million cedis, 800 Euros and one Russian made pistol with registration number OT 117 fully loaded indicating his preparedness to operate in the night.

Two private cars with the registration numbers Golf GW 3074 V and Nissan Premier GR 3045 U seized from their victims were parked in front of his house, which would have been used for the operation. ACP Odai said Tetteh who is known as the second in command by his robbery gang, admitted taking part in 18 robberies after being set free from prison.

He named some of his accomplices as Ataa Ayi, who is the brain behind the robberies, Seidu Bukari, Maama Amidu and James Counsellor, Prince Kwame, Nii Armah and Amardy who is also known as the "Marketing Manager".

Mr Odai said in most of the robbery incidents, they share their booty among themselves, adding that, they describe a stolen car belonging to an armed robber as "Yawa".

Some of the robberies took place in banks at Osu, Ring Road Central, Opeibea House, Mataheko and Tema.

When questioned by newsmen, Tetteh confessed committing the offences and said after his release from the eight years incarceration, Ataa Ayi lured him into the business.

He claimed his "business" is not known to his wife "because I tell her I am going for the art business and return neatly dressed". Describing how they rob their bank victims, he said they trail them in a vehicle as they enter and leave the bank but "during the act we wear mask and remove it immediately after that".

Tetteh however, said Atta Ayi's picture, which is on the police wanted list is not his but that of a different person.

Meanwhile, ACP Odai appealed to the public to volunteer information about criminals living in their communities and promised that the identities of the informants would not be disclosed. He, however, asked the informants not to expose themselves by telling people that they were the source of the tip-off.