10 Robbers jailed 400 years
An Accra circuit court Monday sentenced 10 persons to a total of 400 years’ imprisonment for engaging in eight separate robberies.
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They are Ernest Kwabena Boateng, Philip Amartey Agoe and Stephen Quarshie. The others are Percy Aboagye, Justice Eduah, Apor Amoakwah Fredrick, Emmanuel Sam Mensah, Kwaku Attah, Isaac Hayford and Francis Akoto.
They pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and robbery but were found guilty after a full trial.
Ernest Kwabena Boateng is to serve 20 years for robbery while Philip Amartey Agoe is to serve 20 years and 30 years for conspiracy and robbery.
Stephen Quarshie is to serve 20 years and 30 years for conspiracy and robbery, Percy Aboagye, Justice Eduah, Apor Amoakwah Fredrick and Emmanuel Sam Mensah are to serve 20 years and 25 years each for conspiracy and robbery respectively, Kwaku Attah, Isaac Hayford and Francis Akoto who engaged in three of the eight robberies are to serve 20 years and 30 years for conspiracy and robbery for their first robbery, 30 years and 40 years for the second robbery and 20 years and 30 years for the third robbery. All the sentences are to run concurrently.
According to the presiding judge, Mr Francis Obiri, robbery is on the increase in the country and there is the need to get rid of these miscreants from the society.
Mr Obiri advised the youth to shun bad company that could lead them to acts such as robbery.
Facts of the first robbery
According to the facts of the case,the complainant is a banker and stays at Ayensu River Estates near Oyibi.
On September 2013 at about 1.05 am, armed men numbering about five, forcibly entered the complainant’s house.
The attackers, armed with guns and machetes, led the complainant and his family into their respective rooms. They ransacked the rooms and took away six smart phones, three laptop computers, one set of “Home Theatre”, machines, personal effects and cash of GH¢1,250.
Second robbery
In the second robbery, the prosecution said the complainant was a taxi driver and lived at La. On November 23, 2013, Philip Amartey Agoe together, with an accomplice, Ishmael Mamah Matey (on the run), planned to snatch a vehicle.
On the same day at about 8.30 pm the complainant, who was in charge of a Nissan Mach taxicab with registration No. GR4989-13, picked the convict from Tebibiano to Soldierman, both suburbs of Teshie. On reaching a section of the road near Soldierman, the convict ordered the complainant to stop and surrender all the money on him but before he could say anything, Philip pulled a knife and stabbed him in his stomach and simultaneously held his mouth and throat while his accomplice also attempted to strangle him.
The complainant struggled with them inside the vehicle and in the process bit the left thumb of the accomplice to free himself from his grip.
The accomplice took a brown envelop containing GH¢2,000 and escaped.
In the third robbery, the prosecution said the complainant was the manager of Kpobiman Shell Filling Station belonging to Real Impact Energy Company. On June 8, 2012 at about 1 pm, the complainant and his workers were at the filling station doing business when the accused person, Stephen Quarshie, in the company of two others, suddenly attacked them.
The accused person was wielding a submachine gun while one of his accomplices also wielded a knife.
Amidst gunshots, the accused person and his accomplices made away with cash of GH¢5,375.00, which they had taken from the pump attendant, and assorted phone cards valued at GH¢950 after stabbing one of the shop attendants, and sped off on a motorbike.
In the fourth robbery, the prosecution said the complainant was a driver and resident at Mamprobi. He said Percy Aboagye, Justice Duah and Apo Amoakwah Emmanuel Sam were a driver, a student, a driver’s mate and unemployed residents at Odorkor, Dansoman and Ajumako Besease respectively.
On February 13, 2011 at about 2 am, Percy hired the complainant’s taxicab, a red and yellow Kia Rio with registration number GS 6212-10, from Circle to Odorkor.
Percy directed the complainant to drive to a place behind the main Odorkor Terrazo road and on reaching a yellow kiosk in front of a certain house on the rough street, he asked the complainant to stop.
Immediately he stopped Percy put off the ignition.
Suddenly Justice Duah, Yaw Nicholas (at large) and Emmanuel Sam Mensah emerged from the back of the kiosk holding machetes and a pistol.
They, together with Percy, attacked the complainant and bolted with his vehicle.
In the fifth robbery, the prosecution said the complainant was a media analyst and resided at Amanfrom while Kwaku Attah, Isaac Hayford and Francis Akoto lived at Kasoa.
On November 5, 2013 at about 4:30 am, the complainant boarded a taxicab with registration number GX 9937-13, being driven by Kwaku Attah with Isaac and Akoto on board. The complainant told Attah that she was going to Amanfrom Junction so on reaching the junction she paid the fare to him and wanted to alight from the car. Attah told her to sit down to enable him to make a U-turn so that she would alight rather than walk across the road. Attah, after making the U-turn, pressed the central lock of the doors, which locked automatically. Isaac and Akoto then attacked the complainant and held her neck downwards so that she could not see where they were sending her to.
On reaching Tuba Junction, they diverted the road towards Tuba town.
They succeeded in robbing the complainant of her three mobile phones, a pen drive, identity cards and a cash of GH¢5.00.