An Accra Circuit Court has acquitted and discharged Samuel Plange, aka Tuga, unemployed, and Issah Alhassan, a butcher, after their counsel had filed a submission of no case in a robbery case.
The two were accused of robbing three occupants of a house in Akporman in the Greater Accra region.
The court, presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah, held that the prosecution woefully failed to prove the charges levelled against the accused persons.
It said the prosecution failed to prove a prema facie case against the accused persons and the complainants failed to turn up in court to testify because they had left the jurisdiction.
The court, however, cautioned Alhassan to amend his ways if he was in a way hooked up to the acts of robbery.
“Go and sin no more,” the court declared.
Defence Counsel, Mr Andy Vortia, filed a submission of no case for the two accused persons after the prosecution had closed its case and they were required to open their defence.
Counsel contended that the Prosecution could not link the accused persons to the said robbery, which took place on December 12, 2018.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector William K. Boateng, said the complainants were Omoregie Paul, the first complainant, Dare Ibitolu second complainant, both unemployed, and Mathew Idowu, a student and the third complainant.
He said Plange resided at Abokobi-Boi and Alhassan at Akporman. On December 12, 2018, prosecution said at about 2300 hours, the complainants were in their sitting room when the accused persons with three other accomplices, one of whom is known as Mike Property, now at large, entered their room.
Each of the accused persons was armed with machetes and wearing masks, then ordered the complainants to lie down.
Prosecution said Ibitolu, the second complainant, resisted and the accused persons beat him up.
He said the accused persons and their accomplices robbed Paul, the first complainant, of his Dell Laptop Computer, HP Laptop Computer, a Nokia Phone two, 32 inched NASCO Television sets, one GOTV Decoder, one PS Computer game, and three pairs of jeans among other things.
Chief Inspector Boateng said they also robbed Ibitulo of two computers, an I-Phone and a One Techno Phone.
He said the accused persons parked all their booties in two travelling bags after they locked the complainants in a bathroom and left them to their fate.
Prosecution said the complainants, however, managed to get out of the bathroom and reported the incident to the Police.
During the robbery, Ibitulo recognized the voice and stature of Alhassan as a butcher at Abokobi.
The investigations showed that some of the stolen items were found in Plange and Mike Property’s room.
On December 23, 2018, Plange was arrested but Mike Property managed to escape.
When Property’s room was also searched Mathew Idowu, the third complainant’s items were also found.
Plange stated that it was Alhassan who sold some of the items to him.
On June 21, 2019, prosecution said Alhassan was picked up by the Police but he denied the offence saying he never sold anything to anyone.