60 Robberies foiled

Page 3: Daily Graphic, October 8, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MORE than 60 armed robberies were successfully busted by the Accra Regional Police Command between June and September, this year.
Ten attempted robberies were foiled while more than 100 suspects were arrested.
A number of weapons, including pistols, pump action guns, machetes, knives, clubs and ammunition, cars, motor-cycles, talisman, mobile phones and laptops were retrieved from the suspects.
The successes are as a result of the reward scheme instituted by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to reward any member of the public who would provided information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of criminals, particularly armed robbers.
On assumption of office, Mr Quaye promised cash rewards in the range of GH¢2,000 to GH¢5,000 with the quantum of reward being dependent on the value of the input, as well as the quality and usefulness of the information provided.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, and her deputy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the reward system had greatly enhanced the work of the police, with more people willing to provide information to the police on suspected armed robbers, even after robberies had been committed.
DCOP Atinga said such information led to the arrest of suspected armed robbers, resulting in the retrieval of some of the stolen items.
She said some of the suspects were busted some hours or a day or two after they had committed those robberies due to information provided by members of the public.
She noted, for instance, that after robbing someone at the Angelica Hotel on May 31, 2009, at about 10.30 p.m, one of the suspects, Michael Allotey, was arrested the next day, June 1, 2009.
DCOP Atinga said the timely response of the police to information received resulted in the busting of a number of robberies as well.
She said the timely response of the police, for instance, led to the arrest of two suspects who robbed someone of GH¢580 while the victim was on his way to deposit the money at the bank.
She said most of the dockets on such armed robberies were currently with the Attorney-General’s Department awaiting prosecution, while the police were also investigating others.
Regarding the foiled robberies, ACP Yohuno said the information provided led to the foiling of those robberies even before they were committed.
He cited the arrest of George Ayittey, who was arrested on July 22, 2009 while planning to rob a filling station at Nii Boi Town upon a tip-off.
He said when the suspect took the police to his hotel hide-out at Achimota, three locally made pistols, which were to be used for the robbery, were retrieved.
ACP Yohuno said in another case, suspect Kofi Takyi, who was being looked for by the police for killing Detective Chief Inspector Nyame in Kumasi, was arrested on August 17, 2009 at Kakasunanka having two pistols while he and others were on the way to rob a footballer.
He said the transparency and sincerity of the IGP had made members of the public have confidence in the police to volunteer information willingly.
He noted that the security of the state was a shared responsibility and expressed his happiness that the reward system was facilitating the work of the police.
ACP Yohuno said the public had also been cautious of the warning issued by the IGP to deal with intelligence fabricators and, therefore, had been very helpful.