Three men remanded for robbing Appeals Court Judge and others
An Accra Circuit Court on Monday remanded three persons accused of conspiring and robbing various persons of their personal belongings at gun point.
Dickson Addai, Prince Owusu and Gbekpor Marvin are said to have conspired and robbed one Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkorno, Francis Kofi Torkorno, Anthony Kodua Bediako, and Patience Hammond of their personal belongings.
Dickson was also charged for possessing firearms. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded by the court, presided over by Mrs Abena Adjin Doku Oppong, to reappear on January 30.
Prosecuting, Superintendent of Police Kweku Bempah told the court that the complainants in the case were Justice Gertrude Torkorno, an Appeals Court Judge, Francis Torkorno, an Officer at the Narcotics Control Board, Anthony Koduah Bediako, a Banker, and Patience Hammond, a trader.
The accused persons are residents of Chantan in Accra.
Justice Torkorno and Francis Torkorno are couple.
On December 12, 2016, at about 2030 hours, Superintendent Bempah said Justice Torkorno was on board her official vehicle returning from a night church service and upon opening the main gate of her residence, a gang of masked men holding weapons attacked her and subjected her and her entire family to severe trauma and threats of harm.
They robbed her of her Toyota Fortuner, one Apple MacBook Laptop valued at $1,300.00, one iphone valued at GH¢600.00, GH¢900.00 cash, $50.00 and three bibles.
The prosecution said the gang, in an attempt to drive the vehicle out of the house, bumped into Francis Torkorno, who was returning from work on board his vehicle.
They confronted and severally assaulted him and robbed him of $350.00 cash, eleven Zambian Kwacha, two ATM cards of Stanbic and Ecobank, one Delta Sky Miles membership card, his Narcotics Control Board ID Card and his vehicle.
Superintendent Bempah said the robbers, numbering about six, not satisfied with their act, further went to Anyaa at about 2130 hours and robbed Anthony of his Hyundai Senta-fe 4×4 vehicle, an amount of GH¢350.00, and one Huawei mobile phone.
They later forcibly marched the complainant to the apartment of his co-tenant, Patience, who in an attempt to raise the alarm, drew the attention of the gang.
Superintendent Bempah told the court that they broke into her room with cement blocks, subjected her to beatings and robbed her of five assorted mobile phones, one flat screen TV and jewellery valued at GH¢5,000.00 and bolted.
He said on December 20, 2016, one Elizabeth Okai, a customer of Patience, unknowingly called her business mobile line, which was stolen from her on December 8, with the intent of paying her a debt of GH¢4,800.00.
The Prosecutor said Prince responded to the call and gave his Fidelity Bank Account Number at the Lapaz Branch for her to deposit the money, but she informed Patience who immediately alerted the police, leading to the arrest of Prince.
Superintendent Bempah said the police managed to retrieve Patience’s stolen Airtel mobile sim card and Fidelity savings cheque book bearing Prince’s name from his room at Chantan.
He told the court that investigations led to the arrest of Dickson at Nanakrom, near East Legon, as a member of the gun where the police retrieved one pump action gun and 12 live ammunition, four assorted Samsung mobile phones, one Apple iphone, one Nokia mobile phone and HP mini laptop, all suspected to have been stolen.
He said the investigations also led to the arrest of Gbekor, being part of the gang.
Source: GNA