13th October, 2012
Norwegian police released on Saturday images of a woman and a man suspected in the Oslo theft of crown jewels belonging to Ghana’s Ashanti King Otomfuo Osei Tutu II.
A photo that appears to be a still from CCTV footage shows a veiled woman wearing glasses, a black sweater and jacket, beige pants and carrying a brochure and shoulder bag as she walks out of the Radisson Blue Plaza hotel soon after the crime allegedly occurred.
In the background of the photo are what appear to be members of the king’s entourage.
The police also released a second image showing a man wearing a cap and sunglasses, light trousers and dark shirt and carrying a large backpack as he enters and later leaves the same hotel.
The Ghanaian king was in Oslo to attend a conference organised by the Norwegian-African Business Association, when a suitcase was stolen from the top of a luggage pile belonging to him and his entourage in the hotel lobby, the police said Friday.
They said the theft took place Wednesday, the day the king arrived in Oslo with his delegation.
Ghana’s embassy in Copenhagen, which is also accredited in Norway, confirmed Friday that the suitcase contained jewellery.
The tabloid Verdens Gang quoted the king’s secretary, Kofi Owusu Boateng, as saying, “Anyone who carries something of great personal value with them realises that it is a great loss if it’s stolen.”
“And for those who know our tradition, it is clear that these crown jewels have a tremendous value.”
The Ashanti monarch, one of Ghana’s most traditional tribal leaders, is one of the country’s most revered figureheads and the government regularly consults with him. Ghana became a republic in 1960, three years after gaining independence.