Robbery has decreased, according to police
Story: Mary Mensah
THE incidence of robbery declined in the country for the first half of this year, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prosper Agblor, has stated.
He said a total of 584 robbery incidents were recorded from January to June, this year as against 684 recorded last year, representinga decrease of14.6 per cent.
Addressing the press in Accra yesterday, Mr Agblor said statistics indicated that averagely three cases of armed robbery were recorded daily from January to June, 2011.
He said the Ashanti Region topped the list with 176 robbery incidents, followed closely by Greater Accra, 113;Â Central with 94, Tema, 56; Brong Ahafo, 34; followed by the other regions, with the Upper East recording the least of four.
He said 191 persons connected with robberies were arrested over the period and 14 lives were lost through robbery, adding that out of the number, 10 persons including one policeman were innocent victims, while four were armed robbers.
Mr Agblor said 183 vehicles were on record as having been snatched from various drivers and road users over the period and out of this number, 81 had been recovered by the police, while strenuous efforts were underway to recover the rest.
He said 50 robbery victims were injured over the period and not less than 33 of the arrested robbers had so far been convicted by the law courts, while 120 firearms were seized by the police over the period under review.
According to the Director-General, there were crime-prone areas where robbers always operated in almost all the regions and the police had intensified night and day patrols in those areas.
Mr Agblor said to enhance investigation of cases by the CID, the Police Administration with the assistance of the Spanish government had introduced the Automated Fingerprints Identification System (AFIS) and so far 3,500 data had been automated.
 He said with funds provided by the European Union, the Forensic Laboratory of the service had been modernised with the addition of a DNA laboratory and a ballistics section that can examine all kinds of firearms.
He assured members of the public that the police were on top of the crime situation and had put in place prudent strategies to ensure that people went about their normal duties without fear or favour.
The Director-General advised the driving public, especially commercial drivers, to develop the habit of looking into their driving mirrors as they drove to monitor the vehicles driving behind them so that in case they were being trailed they could quickly drive to a nearby police station to report.
He reminded the media and the public that the reward system introduced by the current police administration was still in force, adding that any person with a credible information that would lead to the arrest of an armed robber would be adequately rewarded.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Gold robbery case was a hoax — Police
Gold robbery case was a hoax — Police
Story: Mary Mensah
IT has now been established that the alleged robbery of more than 25 kilogrammes of gold worth GH¢1.8 million belonging to a businessman at Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region was a hoax.
Police investigations into the incident have revealed thatthe businessman, Victor Asherifi, concocted the story tothrow dust into the eyes of his many businness partners he owed.
For his action, Asherifi is to be arraigned on charges of deceit of public officer, causing fear and panic and possession of firearms without authority.
According to the Public Relations Officer at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Chief Inspector Joseph B. Darkwah, Asherifi is a known businessman in Tarkwa who deals in gold and has many customers who also deal in gold.
He said the customers had collectively given Asherifi a total of GH¢1,395,994.77 for the supply of gold to them.
He said when Asherifi could not honour his obligations to his customers, he faked the robbery in which he claimed that he had been robbed of 25 kilogrammes of gold he was carrying from Tarkwa to Accra which he had concealed under the driver’s seat in the Toyota Tundra pick-up he was driving on August 1, 2011.
According to Chief Inspector Darkwah, while Asherifi claimed that two of his workers assisted him to parcel the gold in his office after which one of them assisted him to carry it into the Toyota Tundra pick-up, the two denied ever assisting him in anyway when they appeared before a committee set up by the Police Administration to look into the issue.
He said one of the workers also told the committee that gold purchases they made on that day were only 11 kilogrammes and not 25 kilogrammes.
Besides, it emerged during the investigations that Asherifi never personally travelled to deliver any gold to any of his customers, Chief Inspector Darkwah said, adding that two of his workers usually carried out that assignment on his behalf.
He said it came up during the investigations that Asherifi hardly travelled to Accra and on the few times that he did so, he went with a driver, and said it came as a surprise to all witnesses that he was driving to Accra alone with the 25 kilogramme gold.
On Asherifi’s claim that the alleged armed robbers crossed him at a spot which was only five minutes drive to Nsuaem resulting in him running into a ditch, Chief Inspector Darkwah said investigations revealed that his car never ran into a ditch, while it took him close to three hours before he reported the robbery to the police.
He said while policemen who arrived at the scene of the alleged robbery found a pistol lying on the right hand side of the rear seat of Asherifi’s vehicle, Asherifi claimed in his statement that one of the robbers left his pistol under the driver’s seat after removing the gold.
“The Police Administration states authoritatively that no such robbery incident occurred on the said date and that the victim of the robbery staged the incident to win sympathy from members of the public and prevent his debtors from harassing him,” Chief Inspector Darkwa said, and warned members of the public to desist from acts that would cause fear and panic among the Ghanaian populace and scare away potential investors.
It would be recalled that the August 2, 2011 edition of the Daily Graphic carried a story about suspected robbers who had robbed the businessman of the gold while on his way to Accra.
Story: Mary Mensah
IT has now been established that the alleged robbery of more than 25 kilogrammes of gold worth GH¢1.8 million belonging to a businessman at Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region was a hoax.
Police investigations into the incident have revealed thatthe businessman, Victor Asherifi, concocted the story tothrow dust into the eyes of his many businness partners he owed.
For his action, Asherifi is to be arraigned on charges of deceit of public officer, causing fear and panic and possession of firearms without authority.
According to the Public Relations Officer at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Chief Inspector Joseph B. Darkwah, Asherifi is a known businessman in Tarkwa who deals in gold and has many customers who also deal in gold.
He said the customers had collectively given Asherifi a total of GH¢1,395,994.77 for the supply of gold to them.
He said when Asherifi could not honour his obligations to his customers, he faked the robbery in which he claimed that he had been robbed of 25 kilogrammes of gold he was carrying from Tarkwa to Accra which he had concealed under the driver’s seat in the Toyota Tundra pick-up he was driving on August 1, 2011.
According to Chief Inspector Darkwah, while Asherifi claimed that two of his workers assisted him to parcel the gold in his office after which one of them assisted him to carry it into the Toyota Tundra pick-up, the two denied ever assisting him in anyway when they appeared before a committee set up by the Police Administration to look into the issue.
He said one of the workers also told the committee that gold purchases they made on that day were only 11 kilogrammes and not 25 kilogrammes.
Besides, it emerged during the investigations that Asherifi never personally travelled to deliver any gold to any of his customers, Chief Inspector Darkwah said, adding that two of his workers usually carried out that assignment on his behalf.
He said it came up during the investigations that Asherifi hardly travelled to Accra and on the few times that he did so, he went with a driver, and said it came as a surprise to all witnesses that he was driving to Accra alone with the 25 kilogramme gold.
On Asherifi’s claim that the alleged armed robbers crossed him at a spot which was only five minutes drive to Nsuaem resulting in him running into a ditch, Chief Inspector Darkwah said investigations revealed that his car never ran into a ditch, while it took him close to three hours before he reported the robbery to the police.
He said while policemen who arrived at the scene of the alleged robbery found a pistol lying on the right hand side of the rear seat of Asherifi’s vehicle, Asherifi claimed in his statement that one of the robbers left his pistol under the driver’s seat after removing the gold.
“The Police Administration states authoritatively that no such robbery incident occurred on the said date and that the victim of the robbery staged the incident to win sympathy from members of the public and prevent his debtors from harassing him,” Chief Inspector Darkwa said, and warned members of the public to desist from acts that would cause fear and panic among the Ghanaian populace and scare away potential investors.
It would be recalled that the August 2, 2011 edition of the Daily Graphic carried a story about suspected robbers who had robbed the businessman of the gold while on his way to Accra.
PASTOR WENT BESERK
Story: Mary Mensah
Bishop Daniel Obinim of International Godsway Church headquatered in Kumasi in the company of two other pastors yesterday went beserk when he stormed the offices of HOT FM an Accra based radio station armed with a crowbar smashing glasses and attacking the host and panelists of a discussion programme.
Obinims reason was that the panelists were discussing an issue which broke out in the media last week about his relationship with the wife of one of his pastors.
The host of the programme, Ntim Ketekyere and the three panelist Shadrach Adu, George Kumi and Reverend Amoako Atta allegedly sustained various degrees of injuries and were treated and discharge at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
ing Bishop Obinim and he was handed him over to the Accra Regional Police Command for further investigations into the matter.
According to the Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACOP) Rose Bio Atinga yesterday at about 10pm the police had information that some people have attacked the offices of HOT FM at Adabraka and have distroyed properties belonging to the station.
She said the police patrol team quickly proceeded to the station and arrested Bishop Obinim together with Pastor Kofi Akwetey and Pastor Kingsley Baah Ameyaw both pasters of his church and upon ineterrogation Bishop Obinim stated that at about 9pm while relaxing at home at Ashaleybotwe in Accra he overheard a panel discussion on HOT FM where the panelists were discussing him and casting inspection to his character.
ACOP Atinga said Bishop Obinim said he asked two of his pastors to accompany him to Adabraka to face the panelists and on reaching the studious he confronted the Host and the panelists and the confrontation turned into a serious fight and he was pushed to the glass wall which caused it to shattered into pieces.
The Commander said Shadrach on his part said the issue about his alleged infidelity was being discussed and just as they were about to wrap up the programme he suddenly broke into the studios shouting at the host and panelists and this resulted into a serious confrontation and during the quarrel that ensued between them he used the crow bar to hit the host who fell on the floor and he started stepping on him and using the crow bar to also smashed the glass door and windows.
She said Shadrach managed to sneaked out of the studio and reported the incident to the Adabrake Police who stormed the premises of the station and arrested Obinim and his cohorts and they were all taken to the Accra regional Police Command where
Bishop Daniel Obinim of International Godsway Church headquatered in Kumasi in the company of two other pastors yesterday went beserk when he stormed the offices of HOT FM an Accra based radio station armed with a crowbar smashing glasses and attacking the host and panelists of a discussion programme.
Obinims reason was that the panelists were discussing an issue which broke out in the media last week about his relationship with the wife of one of his pastors.
The host of the programme, Ntim Ketekyere and the three panelist Shadrach Adu, George Kumi and Reverend Amoako Atta allegedly sustained various degrees of injuries and were treated and discharge at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
ing Bishop Obinim and he was handed him over to the Accra Regional Police Command for further investigations into the matter.
According to the Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACOP) Rose Bio Atinga yesterday at about 10pm the police had information that some people have attacked the offices of HOT FM at Adabraka and have distroyed properties belonging to the station.
She said the police patrol team quickly proceeded to the station and arrested Bishop Obinim together with Pastor Kofi Akwetey and Pastor Kingsley Baah Ameyaw both pasters of his church and upon ineterrogation Bishop Obinim stated that at about 9pm while relaxing at home at Ashaleybotwe in Accra he overheard a panel discussion on HOT FM where the panelists were discussing him and casting inspection to his character.
ACOP Atinga said Bishop Obinim said he asked two of his pastors to accompany him to Adabraka to face the panelists and on reaching the studious he confronted the Host and the panelists and the confrontation turned into a serious fight and he was pushed to the glass wall which caused it to shattered into pieces.
The Commander said Shadrach on his part said the issue about his alleged infidelity was being discussed and just as they were about to wrap up the programme he suddenly broke into the studios shouting at the host and panelists and this resulted into a serious confrontation and during the quarrel that ensued between them he used the crow bar to hit the host who fell on the floor and he started stepping on him and using the crow bar to also smashed the glass door and windows.
She said Shadrach managed to sneaked out of the studio and reported the incident to the Adabrake Police who stormed the premises of the station and arrested Obinim and his cohorts and they were all taken to the Accra regional Police Command where
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