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21.10.2014 General News

7 Goat Thieves Busted

By Daily Guide
7 Goat Thieves Busted
21.10.2014 LISTEN

The suspected goat thieves in police custody.
Seven suspected goat thieves, who allegedly engaged the police in a shootout after attempting to steal a number of goats from a pen at Tema Community 20, near Sakumono, have been arrested by the Sakumono police.

The suspects are Charles Cobblah, aka CC, a 46-year-old ex-convict, Ayiku Odoi,20, Dennis Boateng, 21, Emmanuel Tetteh, 26, Duke Nortey, 27, Francis Kissi, 31 and Ebenezer Mpata, 27.

An unregistered Nissan Pathfinder, which the suspects used in committing the crime, was also impounded by the police.

The suspects are in police custody assisting in investigations.

Briefing the media, Superintendent Alex Wowolo, the Sakumono District Police Commander, said the incident occurred on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at Tema Community 20.

He said around 4pm Sunday evening, police received information from the Assembly Member of the area that two suspected thieves who attempted to steal nine goats from a pen, having successfully stolen one of the animals earlier, had been apprehended by residents and were being beaten.

The Sakumono police reportedly dispatched a motorbike patrol to the scene to rescue suspects Ayiku Odoi and Dennis Boateng from the hands of the irate youth of the area.

The two, upon their arrest, had in their possession one of the stolen goats.

Upon interrogation, the two mentioned suspect Charles Cobblah as the one who engaged them to steal the animals.

According to the suspects, anytime they succeed in stealing the animals, suspect Cobblah, who drives a Nissan Pathfinder, later visits the area where the animals are kept and conveys them to the market for sale, after which the money will be shared.

According to Supt Alex Wowolo, the two suspects were made to call suspect Cobblah to inform him that they had succeeded in stealing nine of the goats so he could come over and carry the animals to the market.

Few minutes after the call was made, suspect Cobblah reportedly arrived in his Nissan Pathfinder in the company of suspects Emmanuel Tetteh, Duke Nortey, Francis Kissi and Ebenezer Mpata to convey the animals.

However, on seeing the police Charles Cobblah drove off towards Klagon, but was pursued by the police. The suspects reportedly engaged police in a shootout to possibly scare the police, but police pursued further and managed to apprehend the suspects with the help of reinforcement.

When a search was conducted in the car, the gun fired was not found. Supt Wowolo said police believe that the suspects threw the gun into the nearby bush on realising that the police were closer. He appealed to anybody who finds the gun to contact the nearest police station.

When the suspects were interrogated, the other four suspects reportedly mentioned suspect Cobblah— a man released from prison through a presidential pardon in 2012 after spending eight years in the Nsawam prisons for theft—as the one who engaged them to steal goats for him to sell to prospective buyers.

According to the suspects, suspect Cobblah pays them between GH¢50 to GH¢70 cedis, depending on the size of the animal, whenever they embark on a successful operation.According to the other suspects, Cobblah usually sells the stolen animals to his customers, mostly butchers, at a cost of GH¢120 and GH¢130.

According to police, the goat the two suspects stole earlier will be used as evidence to prosecute all the suspects in court.

BY Linda Tenyah & Vincent Kubi
([email protected])

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