The High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, has ordered state prosecutors to provide more substantial reasons for their request to have some witnesses testify in camera in the robbery case involving former Second Lady, Mrs. Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur.
On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Nana Ama Adinkra, a Senior State Attorney, requested that some prosecution witnesses be allowed to testify in camera due to the traumatic nature of the incident. However, the defense lawyers, led by Bernard Obiri Koranteng, opposed the request, arguing that their client’s reputation has been damaged and they need to clear his name.
Yahuza Osumanu, a self-acclaimed businessman, is facing 24 counts, including 20 counts of robbery and four counts of dishonestly receiving stolen vehicles.
The alleged incident involved the robbery of Mrs. Amissah-Arthur and four other persons.
The court’s directive is a significant development in the case, as it highlights the need for the prosecution to provide more robust justification for their request to protect the identities of their witnesses.
In the process of the act, Yahuza Osumanu succeeded in robbing her of her various currencies including GH¢3,000, USDS2,200, and Fifty Euros as well as a gold watch and necklace valued at GHc20,000 and GH¢5000 respectively.
He has since been remanded into prison custody by the Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo on Wednesday, October 23, when his plea was taken on the counts of dishonestly receiving.
Apart from the former 2nd Lady, the accused is said to have robbed Augustine Kwesi Okere, a businessman, Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman (husband and wife) and Margaret Alice Shaw is a 76-year-old woman residing at Alexander Nest, Ridge.
The case has been adjourned to February 24, 2025
Brief facts
The brief facts of the case stated that there are five complainants in this matter.
They are – Augustine Kwesi Okere is a businessman residing at Kaela Courts Apartments at Airport Residential Area, Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman (husband and wife) residing at Zollink Apartments in Cantonments, Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur, (wife of the late Vice President of the Republic of Ghana) residing at Tesano, and Margaret Alice Shaw is a 76 year old woman residing at Alexander Nest, Ridge.
It stated that, the accused person Yahuza Osumanu is a self-acclaimed businessman residing at Pokuase-ACP.
The Prosecution said, 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.
On September 17, 2023, complainant, Augustine Okere reported to the Airport Police that at about 2:30am, his residence at Kaeela Court Apartments, Airport Residential Area was robbed.
“On receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel from the Airport Police Division was dispatched to the crime scene.
“The complainant told the police that the accused person entered his room, pointed a pistol at him and demanded for money and other valuables,” the Prosecution indicated.
It is the case of the Prosecution that, the Complainant was robbed of two (2) Rolex wrist watches valued at $38,000.00 USD and $ 23,000.00 USD and cash the sum of GHC2,000.00 and £3,500.00.
Distress call
The Prosecution stated that, on September 19, 2023, the owner of the Kaeela Courts Apartments Dr. Abu Sakara Foster furnished the police with a pen drive which contained a CCTV footage of the accused person.
It said 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.
“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.
“They told the police that the accused person pointed a pistol at them whiles demanding for money and other valuables and succeeded in robbing them of a Cartier wrist watch valued at Nine Thousand United States Dollars ($9,000.O0USD), an iPhone Pro Max valued at One Thousand United States Dollars ($1,000.00USD), a Cartier black pen valued at Five Hundred United States Dollars ($500.00USD) and a gold chain valued at Five Thousand United States Dollars ($5,000.00USD) all belonging to Daniel Kwame Osafo,” the facts stated.
“The accused person also made away with jewellery 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 footages at the premises were obtained and reviewed,” the Prosecution informed the Court.
Search warrant
The brief facts explained that on December 12, 2023, the police gathered information that the accused person Yahuza Osuman was the one robbing inhabitants of Accra and that he was at Dome Pillar 2.
“On the 13th of December 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.
“They proceeded to Tantra Hill and arrested one John Dela Sarbah, the shop keeper 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 Prosecution told the Court.
Items retrieved
It stated that, “the police opened the apartment forcefully and a search conducted revealed three power motorbikes, toy-gun, assorted jewellery, some electronic devices, a jack knife, one unregistered Toyota Prado vehicle, one unregistered Lexus vehicle and three other motorbikes which were retrieved from the house.”
The Prosecution again said on December 15, 2023 the police received information that the accused person was hiding at Kasoa.
“The police proceeded to Kasa 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 investigation,” it said.
The brief facts stated that, “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.
“He identified himself in all the CCTV footages from the various scenes.
“He also led the police to the various crime scenes and demonstrated to the police how he gained ingress into the various houses to rob the complainants,” the Prosecution stated.
Stolen items
It is the case of the Prosecution that, Investigations have revealed that the accused has over the period acquired a number of properties through the unlawful activities of robbery.
“The investigation further discovered that four (4) of the vehicles retrieved from Accused’s possession were stolen vehicles – the Land Cruiser Prado, the Lexus RX, the Honda motorcycle and the Tokyo East motorcycle.
“It is based on these facts that the accused has been arraigned before you,” the brief facts stated.
