Court adjourns alleged Koala robbers’ case to February 24
The case of the alleged Koala Shopping Centre robbers was on Wednesday adjourned to February 24 due to the absence of the accused persons in court.
The accused persons including Gilbert Osabutey aka Obolo, a supervisor of Koala Shopping Centre, Michael Edor Ahiataku aka Old soldier, a private security man, and Frederick Sedro Kwame have been charged with conspiracy to rob.
Stanley Obaliko and Okoe Quarcoe, two other accomplices have also been charged with robbery. Accused persons except Obaliko and Quarcoe, had denied the charges levelled against them.
The plea of the two accused persons had not been taken because they are hospitalised.
At Wednesday’s sitting, Mr George Assamaney a defence counsel drew the court’s attention to the fact that his client had not been brought to court.
Prosecuting Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Duuti Tuaruka acknowledged that the accused persons were not in court because the case investigator was unable to bring them to court.
Prosecution therefore prayed for an adjournment. The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh adjourned the matter to February 24.
Prosecuting Chief Superintendent Tuaruka had told the Court that Obaliko, a Nigerian and Quarcoe were on admission after sustaining injuries in their thighs.
Narrating the facts, he said the complainant in the case is Lydia Horsu, a Marketing Administrator with the Shopping Centre, who went round daily to collect the previous day’s sales and sent it to their head office.
On January 6, 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.
Prosecution said on January 8, around 20:00hrs, all the accused persons met at the Koala Shopping Centre at Cantonments and Osabutey, who is 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, this year, 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 section near the American Embassy at Cantonments.
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, with Obaliko and Quarcoe currently receiving treatment at the Police Hospital.
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.
Prosecution said the Police are conducting further investigations to arrest the two other accomplices who are now at large.
Source: GNA