Two persons accused of robbing Potsin Haoxim Quarry Manager of GHC200,000 at Kweikrom near Potsin have been remanded into Police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused persons are Richard Kwame Tuffour, a 31-year-old driver and Emmanuel Dabanka, an Electric Welder.
The two had hatched a plan to rob their manager who returned money to site after he was unable to pay the company’s electricity bill because it was a public holiday. Charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit, robbery and robbery, Tuffour and Dabanka have pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mr Oheneba Kuffour asked the accused persons to reappear on February 7, 2024.
Prosecution led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmauel Nyamekye said the complainant in the case was an officer of the Surveillance Unit of the National CID Operation Directorate, Accra.
The prosecution said Bright Osei, the first prosecution witness, was a Labourer at Buduburam, near Kasoa in the Central Region.
DSP Nyamekye said the accused persons were employees of Haoxin Quarry Limited located at Gomoa Kweikrom, near Potsin.
On January 8, 2024, at 0900 hours, Tuffour drove his manager, Quan Xin Jei and Fan Jian Quaing, both Chinese nationals, on board the company’s vehicle with registration number CD 2602-16 to Winneba to pay the electricity Bill of the Quarry company.
Prosecution said the manager could not pay the bill because it was a public holiday, so they returned to their base with the money. DSP Nyamekye said Tuffour got wind of the intention of his manager to return to Winneba to make the payment the following day.
Prosecution said Tuffour conceived “a malicious intent to rob the company of the money.”
According to the prosecutor, Tuffour called Dabanka and disclosed his robbery plan he had hatched.
Prosecution said Dabanka agreed with Tuffour to carry out the robbery on January 9, 2024, at 0800 hours to enable him to use his part of the booty to establish a wielding shop of his own.
The court heard the accused persons decided to include another person in the team to help them succeed in the robbery operation.
Prosecution said about 10:00pm, same day, Dabanka contacted a witness (Bright Osei) to come on board.
The information was relayed to the Police who laid ambush and arrested the accused person.
On January 9, 2024, at 0800 hours, Tuffour, who was in charge of a Nissan saloon car with Chinese National on board, left the quarry site to Winneba.
Prosecution said Dabanka intercepted them in the section of the road by pelting a stone at their vehicle and caused damage to the windscreen.
Tuffour, Prosecution said Tuffour who drove into a ditch, stopped, and opened the booth of the vehicle.
Dabanka gained access to the car and took the money and bolted into the bush.
Bright Osei (a witness in the case) who had liaised with the Police to lay ambush, raised the alarm and Tuffour was arrested.
Prosecution said the Police managed to retrieve GHC140,000 from Dabanka at Akoti Junction.
The prosecutor told the court that the Chinese nationals said the amount on them was GHC200,000.
