4 arrested for breaking into of financial institutions (PHOTO)

• Posted on February 17, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Four persons believed to have been involved in the breaking into of financial institutions and mobile retail shops have been remanded into police custody.

The four – Kwaku Boateng, Bright Owusu, Michael Ofori and Latif Musah – pleaded not guilty to six counts of conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing.

They are Kwaku Boateng, a.k.a. Chairman, 47, a self-styled businessman; Bright Owusu, 27; Michael Ofori, 28, a mechanic; and Latif Musah, 25, a footballer.

The police said the activities of the gang, came to their notice in the last quarter of 2015 following a number of reports from several stations within Accra.

The gang, between November 23, 2015 and February 3, this year, broke into several financial institutions and mobile retail shops at Dzorwulu, Nyamekye, Nii Boi Town, Abeka and Aplaku.

The police told the court that the gang, led by Kwaku Boateng, succeeded in stealing a total of GH¢77,800 from their victims.

The gang, in one instance, took away the entire tabletop safe from the premises of an institution they robbed.

During police investigation, it came to light that the ring leader, Kwaku Boateng, alias Chairman, together with one Samuel Lakotey Lartey, in February 2013, broke into two rural banks in Accra and made away with a total of GH¢ 50,000.

Kweku is said to have been on bail when he formed this current gang to continue his nefarious crime.

The gang, in its caution statement, told the police that they used special keys to open locks to the financial institutions and mobile retail shops.

They also told the police they occasionally break the padlocks and other fortified locking device if it becomes difficult to open with their special keys to gain access to the facility.

However, the four pleaded not guilty to six counts of conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing, and have been remanded into police custody to reappear in court.

-By Emefa Abla ADJEI, Accra