Three students including two candidates in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been arrested by the Odumase Krobo Police in the Eastern Region over theft.
The WASSCE candidates were picked up by the police at their examination hall after writing one of the subjects.
The three suspects (names withheld) have been accused of stealing two Infinix mobile phones and Ghc1,280 cash a day before the Electricity Company of Ghana restored power to the Krobo area.
The complainant, Eric Tetteh Boafo, a resident of Nuaso Odjam at Odumase Krobo narrated to Starr News the incident occurred on the 18th of August after he returned from work around 8:00 pm.
“My wife had travelled so I left my three-year daughter for someone. Immediately I returned home I went for her and sent her to bed. I slept in the room for some time around 9:00 pm. I made a call which took me 1:52s then immediately after that call, I decided to bath. I spent less than 10 minutes.
“Before I returned, two mobile phones – all Infinix Hot 12i and Hot 8 and an amount of money ghc1,280 were taken away. One of the phones was taken from the hall on the centre table and then one of the phones was also taken from the bedroom then the money was taken in a bag placed in the wardrobe.
“Before I went into the bathroom, there were two guys (the students) who we stayed in the house with but they were all outside in front of their rooms. The house is gated with two ends structured like a compound house,” he narrated.
Mr Boafo further explained that the students, however, denied knowledge of the theft when approached.
“So upon returning from the room I met these boys and told them my phones were missing so if they could give me their phones to call my number they told me their phones were off due to the light out.
“I had to rush to a nearby house to my brother but unfortunately, his phone was also off so he took me to a place, a man gave us his phone after trying all two numbers were off. On my way I met these two boys again they pretended as if they were also searching for the missing phones,” he said.
The complainant reported the incident to the Police.
He replaced his registered SIM card at the MTN office on August 24, 2022, but noted Ghc26 worth of airtime had been used by the suspects.
He petitioned the MTN office in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Capital, to request an itemised bill to facilitate his investigation.
The evidence was presented to the police which led to the arrest of the suspects on Friday, September 2, 2022.
“So I went back to the police to report. Before going to the police we were able to identify where these guys were schooling so two of the three were final-year students.
“The next morning, around 10:00 am we were in one of the secondary schools. Quickly after finishing the paper, the prime suspect was picked up in the exams Hall immediately after the paper ended. Then we moved straight to the second person to pick him up as well. The third person was also picked,” he added.
The students admitted the offence but said one of the phones had been sold at Somanya whilst the other had been flashed.
The suspect students were bailed by their parents the next day.
The parents entered an agreement with the police to pay for the cost of the stolen items within a month.