One of a four-member gang suspected to be armed robbers was arrested in the New Juaben Municipality on Tuesday, when a receptionist of a guest house where the four members lodged became suspicious and notified the police.

The apprehended suspected criminal - Prince Aboagye, a 25-year-old sales attendant of a distribution agency at Koforidua is currently being detained while efforts are being made to arrest the others.

Briefing the Daily Graphic at Koforidua, the New Juaben Municipality Police Commander, DSP John A. Naami, said on December 15, 2007, three members of the gang arrived from Accra and booked a room at the Pamakof Guest House at Old Estate, a suburb of Koforidua, for three nights in the name of Emmanuel Thompson, a member of the gang.

He said when it was time for them to check out, they could not pay fully for the bills so the receptionist prevented them from taking away the only bag they were carrying.

They, therefore, pleaded with the receptionist to allow them to go to town for money from one Prince Aboagye, a resident of Koforidua, whom they described as their boss.

The receptionist agreed but followed them to their room where he saw a pistol in the only bag they were carrying. When they left for town, the curious receptionist went back to the room to open the bag only to find a locally-manufactured pistol, two crowbars, three pairs of boots and some T-shirts.

DSP Naami said the receptionist then notified the police, who laid ambush and arrested Aboagye when he came back to the guest house with the others to settle the bill around 8 p.m.

The three others, DSP Naami said, managed to escape into a nearby bush and were pursued by the police but to no avail.

In a related development, two persons, namely Yaw Iddrisu, a 25-year-old kebab seller, and Yaw Yeboah, 25, a cleaner of Antarctic Social Centre, were also busted by the police at Koforidua for stealing a metal covering one of the culverts in the area.

Iddrisu was arrested while in possession of the metal by two personnel of the Community Protection Unit, while he was on his way to where he sold kebab and he said he was permitted to take the metal by Yeboah, who demanded money before giving it out.

The two are in police custody assisting in investigations.


Source: Daily Graphic