A 40-year-old self-styled optical technician, who allegedly went to the Legon Interdenominational Church to steal during a book launch, has been dragged before an Accra circuit court.
The accused, Isaac Kojo Smith, is reported to have made away with various valuables belonging to Dr. Yaw Perbi, a Canadian-based medical officer and missionary.
Kojo Smith, a self-confessed gay, is said to have specialized in robbing churches and some lecturers of the University of Ghana to pay his clients.
The accused person, who served two years at the Nsawam Prisons for robbing participants who were attending a seminar at Mensvic Hotel, East Legon, in 2013, was arrested again by the Legon police on February 10, 2016.
According to the prosecution led by Inspector Martin Acheampong, Smith stole one Dell laptop computer, Ipad, Blackberry mobile telephone and an external drive totaling $2,400.
Before the court presided over by Ruby Quaison, Kojo denied the charge of stealing and was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties.
The sureties are to present valid photo Identity Cards while Kojo is also to report to the investigator every Tuesday and Thursday until varied by the court.
Sitting continues on March 23, 2016.
Narrating a series of events leading to the arrest of Kojo Smith, Inspector Acheampong stated that on December 13, 2015, Dr. Perbi launched a book at the Interdenominational Church at the Legon campus and Kojo attended the function apparently with intent to steal.
He said Dr. Perbi left his bag under his seat and was chatting with his friends when the accused person stole the bag containing the items mentioned above.
Inspector Acheampong told the court that Kojo Smith sent the bag with its contents to the washroom of the church and transferred the said items into his own bag and bolted.
The police officer said Dr. Perbi, after the programme, did not find his bag and informed the security guards on duty at the church who later found the empty bag at the washroom.
A complaint was lodged at the Legon police station where it was detected during investigation that Kojo used the number of the stolen phone to make calls and the itemized bill of the number was obtained from MTN.
Inspector Acheampong said on February 13 police intelligence led to the arrest of one Felix Asante at Akosombo in the Eastern Region who was in regular communication with the stolen phone number, adding that when Felix was interrogated, he said Kojo Smith had been communicating with him using Dr. Perbi’s stolen phone with the number and led the police to arrest him at the Christ the King Church in Accra.
The prosecutor said the accused disclosed that he sold the said items to somebody at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle but could not lead the police to the said person.
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