Managers of a mobile money business in Bantama in Kumasi, which was robbed at gunpoint in April this year, are pleading with the Police to be honest in their investigations.

The victims of the robbery, who lost at least GHC142,000, are unhappy with the Police’s handling of investigations into the incident.

They claim no one has been arrested, contrary to an earlier announcement by the Police that two suspects have been arrested.

Gun-wielding robbers on motorbikes left residents in Kumasi in shock as they brazenly broke into the shop in full glare of the public on April 21, 2021.

The robbers were captured on CCTV packing several bundles of Ghana cedi notes into plastic bags as the held the workers hostage in an operation that lasted less than five minutes.

The robbery operation happened a few hours after the owner of the shop, Yaw Boakye Dankwa, had withdrawn 241,000 cedis from the bank for the day’s transactions.

“When the agents, especially those stationed outside Kumasi need cash for their transactions, they fall on me. The robbers struck some hours after I had withdrawn GHC241,000 from Ecobank,” says Mr. Boakye Dankwa, CEO of Osuani Boakye Ventures.

Two months after the incident, the Police announced the arrest of two suspects, who were linked to similar mobile money robbery incidents at Buokrom Estate Junction in June.

Public Relations Officer for the Ashanti Regional Police Command, ASP Godwin Ahianyo broke the news to JoyNews in an interview.

The victims of the robbery have however expressed doubt over the Police’s claim that two suspects have been arrested. They contend that attempts to see the suspects have proved futile, six months after the Police made the announcement.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Yaw Boakye Dankwa said, “I watched a news item on JoyNews TV on 16^th June that two of the robbers have been arrested. So I immediately called the CID, ASP Kyei of Sofoline Police for confirmation of which he answered in affirmative and that the suspects were yet to be transferred to Kumasi from Accra. I have since waited to see the suspects but all efforts have proved futile.

ASP Kyei later told me the supposed suspects are not connected to the incident and that they were looking for others. My worry is that there is information on the internet already that the suspects have been arrested. I want ASP Ahianyo who announced the arrest of the suspects to deny this publicly,” he stated

According Mr Dankwa, they have been forced to reduce the number of working hours, whilst they continue to live in fear.

Mr. Ebenezer Amamoo who is in charge of operations at Osuani Boakye Ventures said, ”the feeling is not a good one at all. Because, to be at work doing your thing; by the time you raise your head you see a gun pointed at you, ordering you to pack all your money and give it to someone who hasn’t worked for it.  It’s not a very good feeling at all.”

“It has caused some phobia in me. Especially when I am there and I hear a motorcycle making a noise around. I always feel that it might be some of those people[robbers] who are moving around,” he added.

Officials of the Ashanti Regional Police Command have dismissed claims by the victims.

The Police officials said the two suspects, Hamza Sule and Farouk Ibrahim, are currently standing trial at the Nkawie District Court.