A man accused of robbing high-income personalities including Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the wife of late Vice President Kwasi Amissah-Arthur, and mother-in-law of renowned architect David Adjaye has been arraigned and charged with 26 counts of robbery and money laundering.
The Herald, in January, this year, broke the story about in early December 2023, a troubling incident that unfolded at the Tesano residence of Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the former Second Lady of Ghana, when an armed robber managed to breach the security measures in place.
The story has finally been corroborated with the suspect, Yahuza Osman, whose name was not available to The Herald at the time, now placed before the law court.
There were reports at the time, that he had been to the homes of some prominent people in the country robbing them of their expensive belongings. This has also been confirmed with the names of the victims mentioned.
Yahuza Osman is accused of carrying out lone residential robberies in areas such as Cantonments, Airport Residential Area and Tesano. The robberies according to Police investigations took place between September and December 2023.
He is alleged to have unlawfully gained access to the homes of his victims and demanded money and valuables at gunpoint. In some instances, he is accused of physically assaulting his victims.
Per the brief facts of the case, he attacked the former second lady at her home in Tesano on December 5, 2023. He is said to have threatened to kill Madam Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur with a gun if she did not yield to his demands.
He then assaulted the former second lady by strangling her and hitting her head repeatedly on the ground. He is said to have made away with GH¢ 3,000, $2,200 and 50 Euro in cash as well as a gold watch worth GH¢ 20,000 and necklaces valued at GH¢ 5,000.
A week after this on December 11, Yahuza Osman paid a similar visit to the home of the mother-in-law of David Adjaye. His modus operandi was not any different as he pointed a gun at Madam Margaret Alice Shawn and demanded goodies.
He succeeded in taking a Rolex Watch valued at $70,000, a Panerai watch valued at $15,000, jewellery valued at $15,000, and a cash amount of GH¢1,500.
Before these two high-profile operations, the accused had made similar robbery operations on September 17th and December 4. On September 17, businessman Augustine Okere was attacked at gunpoint in his home at Airport Residential.
The alleged robber is said to have stolen two Rolex watches valued at $38,000 and $23,000 and cash sums of GH¢2,000 and 3,500 pounds.
On December 4, he robbed two persons named Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeman.
He stole a Cartier wristwatch valued at $9,000, an iPhone Pro Max Valued at $1,000, a Cartier black pen valued at $5,000 and a gold chain valued at $5,000 belonging to Daniel Kwame Osafo.
He then stole jewellery valued at $50,000 and a Cartier wristwatch valued at $10,000 belonging to Tracy Osei-Hyeaman.
The accused has been charged with counts of money laundering as he is accused of using the funds stolen to acquire houses and a car.
Below is what The Herald published on January 31, 2024;
Former Second Lady Matilda Amissah-Arthur falls victim to armed robbery
In early December 2023, a troubling incident unfolded at the residence of Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the former Second Lady of Ghana, when an armed robber managed to breach the security measures in place.
The assailant, masked and armed, entered the Tesano house in Accra during the night, despite the presence of a significant police force.
According to family sources, the lone robber confronted Mrs Amissah-Arthur, grabbing the neck of the widow of the late ex-Vice President Kwasi Amissh-Arthur, and demanding money and jewellery.
Succumbing to the threat, the former Second Lady, handed over an estimated US$3000 to the assailant, who subsequently fled the scene. The release of the money by the former Second Lady was for her to gain her freedom.
The perpetrator, who was eventually apprehended, is currently in police custody. However, the Ghana Police Service, has opted to remain silent on the matter, raising questions about the nature of the security breach.
Sources from the Police Headquarters, indicate that the arrested individual has been presented before the top hierarchy of the police service.
Strikingly, the identity of the victim, Matilda Amissah-Arthur, was concealed during official communications, referring to her only as “Mrs. Atta.”
The system prefers keeping the case low-profile, despite the arrest. This decision has sparked speculation, especially considering the extensive security network surrounding the residence. Curiosity arises as to how the armed robber believed to have an accomplice, successfully infiltrated the former Second Lady’s house.
Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Matilda Amissah-Arthur, had temporarily vacated her residence for medical reasons.
Security sources suggest that the escalating insecurity in the country is impacting even the elite, whose homes boast sophisticated security measures, including police officers, dogs, private security personnel, and CCTV cameras.
As to why the Ghana Police Service, has kept quiet on this matter baffles many minds aware of the incident.
Family sources have called on the Ghana Police Service, the National Security Agency, and the Ministry of Interior to as a matter of urgency and concern, provide an update on the unfortunate incident.
Further check tells us that the same modus operandi has been used in some other high-profile officials’ residences in the city of Accra, but the police are quiet on it.
