Police arrest notorious car thief

A 50-year-old man alleged to have bolted with a car he was test- driving has been arrested by the Kwabenya District Police.

The suspect, identified as Nana Osei Boakye, a trader who resides at Awoshie in Accra, is said to have expressed interest in a Pontiac Vibe car which had been displayed for sale at Kwabenya in Accra.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Kwabenya District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ms Lydia Yamoah, said about 10 a.m. on September 30, 2015, a woman, whose name has been withheld, told the police that her car had been stolen.

She said the complainant said she had received a call from a man who expressed interest in her Pontiac Vibe, which she (complainant) had displayed for sale and the two agreed to meet for an inspection of the car.

She said on the agreed date, Boakye showed up and told the complainant that he had been sent by his employers to inspect the car and test-drive it.

 Another victim

While test-driving the car on the Atomic road, Ms Yamoah said, Boakye told the owner of the car, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, that he could hear some strange noise under the car.

“As soon as the car stopped and the complainant got down to check the said fault, Boakye drove off in the car, leaving the complainant to shout for help but no one came to her aid,” the district commander said.

Ms Yamoah said the complainant managed to stop a taxi and gave the suspect a hot chase.

“Luck eluded the suspect, as he got trapped in traffic at the ACP Junction Road and was apprehended with the help of some residents and passers-by,” she said.

But for the intervention of the police, some of the residents would have beaten the suspect mercilessly.

While the suspect was in custody, another complaint was lodged by a man, who also claimed to have fallen victim to Boakye’s strategy of stealing cars in September 2015.

Ms Yamoah said the suspect was currently assisting with investigations.