Man remanded for robbing former 2nd Lady Matilda Amissah-Arthur

A self-acclaimed businessman, Yahuza Osumanu, has been remanded into prison custody after he allegedly attacked and robbed former 2nd Lady, Mrs Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur is the wife of the late Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who was Vice President between 2012 and 2016.

In the process of the act, Yahuza Osumanu succeeded in robbing her of her various currencies including GH¢3,000, USD 2,200, and Fifty Euros as well as a gold watch and necklace valued at GHc20,000 and GH¢5000 respectively.

Yahuza, who was slapped with 26 counts, comprising 20 counts of robbery and six counts of money laundering, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He has since been remanded into prison custody by the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

The Court has also directed the prosecution to file a complaint about their disclosures while the case was adjourned to May 2, 2024.

Justice Marfo has also directed that a formal bail application filed on behalf of the accused by his lawyers led by Paul Asibi Abariga be served on the Prosecution ahead of time.

Apart from the former 2nd Lady, businessman David Adjaye and three others have all been robbed by the accused at gunpoint of their valuable properties at gunpoint.

The case has been adjourned to May 2.

The brief facts of the case stated that the complainants are Augustine Kwesi Okere, a businessman, Daniel Kwame Osafo, and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman husband and wife while Mrs. Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur was the wife of the late Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, and Margaret Alice Shaw, a 76-year-old woman residing at Alexander Nest, Ridge, Accra.

The Prosecution stated that the accused Yahuza Osumanu is a self-acclaimed businessman who resides at Pokuase-ACP.

According to the Prosecution, between the second quarter of the year, 2023 and December 2023, the Police CID received several complaints of residential robberies perpetuated by a single armed man around Airport, Cantonments, Tesano, and Ridge.

It said, on September 7, 2023, complainant, Augustine Okere reported to the Airport Police that, at about 2:30 am that morning, that his residence at Kaecla Court Apartments, Airport Residential Area was robbed.

It stated that, on receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel from the Airport Police Division was dispatched to the crime scene.

The prosecution added that the complainant told the police that, the accused entered his room, pointed a pistol at him, and demanded money and other valuables.

According to the Prosecution, Mr. Okyere said he was robbed of two Rolex wristwatches valued at $38,000 and $23,000 and cash the sum of GHc2,000 and €3,500

The Prosecution stated that, on September 19, 2023, the owner of the Kacela Courts Apartments, Dr. Abu Sakara Foster, furnished the police with a pen drive that contained CCTV footage of the accused person.

It is also the case of the Prosecution that, on December 4, 2023, the police received a distress call from the complainants, Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman, to the effect that they had been robbed.

According to the Prosecution, on receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel was dispatched to the crime scene but on their arrival, the accused had fled.

They told the police that the accused pointed a pistol at them while demanding money and other valuables and succeeded in robbing them of a Cartier wristwatch valued at $9,000, an iPhone Pro-Max valued $1,000, a Cartier black pen valued at $500 and $5,000 all belonging to Daniel Kwame Osafo.

“The accused person also made away with pieces of jewelry valued at Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($50,000.00USD) and a Cartier wristwatch valued at Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000.00USD) belonging to Tracy Osei-Hyeaman.

The CCTV footage at the premises was obtained and reviewed.

It is also the case of the Prosecution that, on December 5, 2023, at about 4:00 am, the Tesano Police Division received information to the effect that the complainant Madam Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur had been robbed.

The brief facts stated that, on receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel was dispatched to the crime scene but on their arrival, the accused person had fled.

“The complainant told the police that the accused person was wielding a gun and he threatened to kill her if she did not comply with his instructions.

“She stated that the accused person demanded money and valuables and he succeeded in robbing her of money in the sum of three thousand (GH¢3,000.00), Two Thousand Two Hundred United States Dollars (USDS2,200.00), and Fifty Euros (EUR 50.00).

“The accused person also made away with a gold watch valued at Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC20,000.00) and necklaces valued at Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000.00).

“The accused person also assaulted the complainant by strangling her and hitting her head repeatedly on the ground while demanding more booty,” the Court was told.

“The complainant lost consciousness momentarily and when she regained consciousness the accused person had left with her safe and the booty.

“She placed a call to the police guard on duty at her residence and asked him to look out for the accused.

“The guard spotted the accused person in the compound while he was trying to escape with the safe,” the Prosecution Stated.

“He gave the accused a chase but the accused abandoned the safe and managed to escape.”

On December 8, 2023, the police obtained CCTV footage from the crime scene and reviewed same.

The accused person was identified in the CCTV footage as Yahuza Osumanu, who had been on the police radar for his involvement in a series of residential robberies at Cantonments, Airport Residential Area, Ridge, and Tesano.

On December 11, 2023, the Papa 15 police patrol team received information about a robbery incident at Ridge,” and “on receipt of the information, the patrol team proceeded to the crime scene.”

The prosecution said, that when they arrived at the scene, they met the complainant Margaret Alice Shaw who informed them that she was lying on her bed when the accused person entered her room, pointed a gun at her, and instructed her to hand over all her money and valuables to him.

“She told the police that the accused person ransacked her room and made away with a Rolex watch valued at Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (USD 70,000.00), a Panerai watch valued at Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars (USD 15,000.00) belonging to her son-in-law, David Adjaye, jewelry valued at Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars (USD 15,000.00) belonging to her daughter Ashley Shaw Scott and cash in the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC1,500.00),” the prosecution stated.

It stated that, “an initial assessment by the police revealed that the accused person gained access into the house through the victim’s window in the kitchen, which was not properly locked. The police took photographs of the crime scene.”

“That same day, the police returned to the crime scene with crime scene management experts.

“They processed the scene, reviewed the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the premises, and obtained copies of the CCTV footage.

“On December 12, 2023, the police gathered information that the accused person, Yahuza, was the one robbing inhabitants of Accra and that he was at Dome Pillar Two.

“On December 13, 2023, the police, acting on a search warrant, proceeded to House No. DNC 34, Dome Pillar 2, which was the hideout of the accused but they met his absence,” it stated.

“They proceeded to Tantra Hill and arrested one John Dela Sarah, the shopkeeper of the accused person.

“He led the police to a two-bedroom apartment where the accused person lived with his family but when they arrived there the accused person had escaped.

“The police opened the apartment forcefully and a search conducted revealed three power motorbikes, a toy gun, assorted jewelry, some electronic devices, a jackknife, one unregistered Toyota Prado vehicle, one unregistered Lexus vehicle, and three other motorbikes that were retrieved from the house,” it added.

The brief facts stated that, on December 15, 2023, the police received information that the accused person was hiding at Kasoa.

“The police proceeded to Kasoa and met the accused person seated in the front passenger seat of a grey Honda CRV vehicle.

“The police team stopped the vehicle, arrested him, and took him to the CID headquarters to assist in the investigation.

“During interrogation, the accused person admitted robbing the complainants.

“He told the police that he went on the robbery operations with a toy gun to prevent any resistance from the complainants,” the prosecution stated.

“He identified himself in all the CCTV footage from the various scenes.

“He also led the police to the various crime scenes and demonstrated to the police how he gained access to the various houses to rob the complainants.

“Investigations have revealed that the accused has over the period acquired many properties through the unlawful activities of robbery.

“It is based on these facts that the accused has been arraigned before you,” it stated.