Three senior High School students including two WASSCE candidates(names withheld) have been arrested by the Odumase Krobo Police for stealing two mobile phones and Ghc1,280 cash.
The incident occurred a day before ECG restored power to the Krobo area three weeks after the power cut.
The complainant, Eric Omanba Kwadwo Boafo narrated episode by episode how the incident occurred.
According to him, “On the 18th of August, I returned from work around 8:00 pm. My wife had travelled. I left my three-year daughter for someone. Immediately after 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 did a call which took me 1:52s then immediately after that call I decided to bathe. I spent less than 10 minutes. I returned to the room only to note that two mobile phones – Infinix Hot 12i and Hot 8 and an amount of money Ghc1,280 were taken. 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 on a bag placed on wardrobe”.
He continued “before I went into the bathroom, there were two guys whom we stayed in the house but they were all outside in front of their rooms. The house is a gated house with two ends structured like a compound house.
So upon returning from the room I meet 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 have to rush to a nearby house for 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 all well off.
Met these two boys again they were looking for the phone”.
Boafo lodged a complaint at the Police station but decided to do his own investigation.
“The following Wednesday, August 24th I went to the MTN office to replace both SIMs. I had three phones in the room actually one was a Yam so I replaced the SIM and then placed it in the yam which had the merchant momo number in it. So I just slot one of these numbers to it used it for the mean time. After replacing the scene and checking on the line I realized I had 26 worth of airtime and I realized all were used up.”
I called MTN and reported that this is what has happened so they should help me so they quickly went on their system, checked on the line then after checking they realized that on Friday which is August 19, a day after the phone was stolen at 11:00 am the person transferred airtime on my line to some MTN numbers so I demanded those numbers but they said they can’t give the numbers to me so they advised I should go to MTN office with Ghana Card I used to register the SIM for them to prove ownership of the said line. So I went to Atimpoku, they took my email details, filed a complaint, and immediately I received a text message from the office indicating that complaints has been lodged they told me within 48 hours the details will be sent to me, but it didn’t come.
On September 1, 2022, Boafo came to the MTN Office in Koforidua to further his mission.
“Then this very Thursday I was in Koforidua then I decided to go to the regional office so when I went to the regional office I lodged the same complaint and they kept me waiting. So they said I should request an itemized bill. I did it with my ID card. I was there then they gave me a sheet containing transactions that went on on my line”.
“When I came home, I detected five contacts. So these five contacts I quickly sent to my boys in the hood. Then they started using true caller. So upon true caller, we detected a name. Someone advised that if you want to know the details of contact with images etc you have to buy the premium of the true caller so I sent it to a guy who bought it. So when you dialed the numbers given to me if the person’s number it will take you straight to the person’s social media accounts so you get to know his pictures.
So the second number we entered too as to a WhatsApp status picture before then true caller gave us a certain name, the same number sent us to the WhatsApp profile picture then immediately I identified the face and that face was one of the first guys I met when I returned and realized my phone was missing.
Then another number took to one of the guy’s Facebook accounts. So we got his images. Then that person was also around us and was in the house that very day. Then another number out of the five gave nicknames and facial images of the suspects. So we settled on the investigation. That all these guys are the very people I met in the compound of the house when the phones got missing”.
Boafo went back to the Odumase Police station to present his evidence.
“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 in the exams hall immediately after the paper ended. Then we moved straight to the second person to pick him up as well. Third person, we picked him.
So when we sent the first prime suspect to the police station and started giving details to him then he admitted he did transfer of the airtime to his phone but the phone was brought to him by one of his friends who said he found the phone on his way so it means a missing phone and the phone was at his custody for three days.
The name he mentioned was the contact that we identified. Upon picking him up, the policeman asked him where the phone is and he said the phone was with one prince.”
The third person initially said he knew nothing about it but when all three suspects got there and narrated the whole story the whole thing started. One said immediately they saw me going to the bathhouse they asked themselves if they could enter his room to get something and pick. Then one was at the gate facing the bathroom to watch their back to blow alarm in case I am returning from the bathhouse”.
The suspects have been granted bail as their parents pay for the cost within a month.
“So they narrated everything. Parents followed, and then applied for bail so after 24 hours in the cell they were granted bail and properties they promised to pay within one month. They sold one of the phones at Somanya, one they were using it but flash it”.Boafo said.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
