Two thieves have each been given a sentence of five years in jail with hard labor by an Accra Circuit Court. Albert Nii Ayi Quaye, 32, and Kelvin Kitorki, 24, were found guilty despite having denied planning to break into their victims’ homes illegally and take money and other valuables. Gershon Nii Okai Armah, who dishonestly accepted some of the stolen goods, was cleared of all charges and released by the court presided over by Mr. Kwabena Koduah Obiri Yeboah after the trial. The Police are looking for their fugitive accomplice, only known as Asaawa.
Gladys Osei Owiredu, a journalist, and Nana Kojo Dadzie, a lecturer, were both complainants and residents of Franco Estates in Kwabenya, an Accra suburb, according to Police Chief Inspector George Nana Akomeah. While Armah, an auto mechanic, also stayed at Bubuasbie, Quaye and Kitorki, who are both unemployed, resided at Kwabenya. He claimed that on February 23, 2022, Gladys left for work and her daughter left for school. Gladys received a call from the Franco Police Station while she was at work informing her that her daughter had come to report that thieves had broken into their home and stolen their television set, USD 500, among other valuables.
According to Chief Inspector Akomeah, Dadzie and his family departed for church on March 2, 2022, while his wife and children left for lectures. The Court was informed that when his family got home from church, they were shocked to discover that their house had been broken into and the rooms had been looted. The Fujitsu laptop, Amazon tablet, two wrist watches, one wax print, and other valuables that were kept in a bag, according to the prosecution, were all stolen. A formal complaint was filed with the Franco Estate Police station, according to Chief Inspector Akomeah, and on March 22, 2022, the Police Intelligence Directorate received information that Quaye and Kitorki were responsible for a string of thefts in the Franco Estates, Kwabenya, and the surrounding area, and that they were currently hiding out in Pokuase.
He claimed that they were immediately under observation, which resulted in their detention. Quaye and Kitorki, the convicts, allegedly admitted to going on a stealing rampage throughout the day at Kwabenya, Madina, Aburi, Adenta, and its surroundings when the residents of the houses were out, according to the prosecution. A 65-inch Samsung television, a Fujitsu laptop, a matchet, and a flat screw driver were discovered during a spot check of their Kwabenya rooms, he claimed. According to the prosecution, Dadzie recognized the fujitsu laptop as one of the goods stolen from his home when he first saw it. He claimed that the inmates named Armah and a person named Asawaa as the recipients of their loot.
Chief Inspector Akomeah claimed that Quaye and Kitorki took police to the Bubuashie home of Armah, but that Armah and his wife were not there when they arrived. When the police knocked on their door, Quaye pointed to an LG television as one of the stolen television sets sold to Armah, and Armah’s wife confirmed that she had seen Quaye selling her husband three (3) television sets. According to the prosecution, both prisoners guided police to the Franco Estate in Kwabenya and showed them how they entered the rooms.
It was also established at Franco Estates Police station that both Complainants had made official complaint of the crime at their homes on the respective dates, the Court heard. Prosecution said the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage also captured Kitorki at Gladys’ home on the day they robbed her.Armah was detained after additional investigation, and while being questioned, Armah confessed to the crime.
