Luke Judge

FOUR SUSPECTED members of a car snatching syndicate, Nana Ofosuhene, Kwaku Gyamerah, Kofi Karikari and Isaac Kwuku Ani, have all been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command.

As part of their investigations into an alleged car snatching case, some police personnel posed as prospective buyers of a Toyota Corolla CE a businessman, Nana Ofosuhene, had put out for sale.

Even though the market price of such cars ranges from GH¢16,000 to GH¢17,000, Nana Ofosuhene was itching to sell it at a give-away price of GH¢6,000.

The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told newsmen on Thursday that her outfit was informed about the case, and quickly called for immediate investigations.

She said the police personnel made an initial deposit of GH¢3,000, with the intention to defray the remaining amount upon seeing the vehicle, but the businessman insisted they paid everything in full.

Subsequently, Nana Ofosuhene was arrested, and who also assisted the police to arrest his accomplices Kwaku Gyamerah and Kofi Karikari who are brothers staying at Tantra Hill, a suburb of Accra, as well as Isaac Kwuku Ani, who was keeping the said car.

Kwuku Ani had already used his ingenuity to register the stolen Toyota saloon car with a new number plate, GW 378-10, with forged documents to match.

According to the police, he is a car dealer and served as a link between armed robbers, who robbed victims of their vehicles, and some staff of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) in Accra.

According to the police, Ani designed new number plates and forged documents for stolen and snatched vehicles, with backing from some officials at the DVLA.

She disclosed that Kwuku Ani had in his possession, three additional new car number plates, including GE 8832-10, GE 9074-10, GE 4457-10, with many road worthiness certificates, supposedly issued by the DVLA.

Meanwhile, on September 19, this year, at about 8:00 p.m., a KIA Avera taxi, with registration number GW 4279 Z, was also snatched from its driver at Gbawe, near the Presbyterian School park.

According to DCOP Atinga, the suspect, Bright Armah, 21, hired the taxi from the Mallam station to Gbawe in Accra.

When the taxi got to the Presbyterian School park, she said, Armah ordered the driver to stop, while Samuel Oduro, 22, and Samuel Quartey, 23, joined them from a hideout.

‘They attacked the driver with a cutlass, and took the taxi away to Domeabra, and sold it to one Emmanuel Antobam at GH¢600,’ she narrated.

Antobam, 39, a vulcanizer, made a part payment of GH¢10, and asked the group to return on September 26, for the rest of the money.

Even before selling the taxi cab to Antobam, the police said, the three alleged car snatchers had removed the wheel caps, side address, number plate, road worthiness certificate, and relevant stickers among others.

An informant hinted the police that Antobam had given the taxi cab to one Prince Allottey to work with at Domeabra. The police, however, said all four admitted to committing the crime upon interrogation.

Cherished Numbers accomplices, avera, newsmen