Five robbers jailed 200 years
The Accra High Court has sentenced five armed robbers to a total of 200 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
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They were said to have attacked and robbed a manager of Unibank Ghana Limited, Mr John Kofi Mensah.
The convicts: Gameli Vinotor, alias Gaboo, an auto mechanic, 46; Isaac Addo Tetteh, aka Reverend, a driver aged 25; Robert Taylor, a trader, alias Bornty; Mensah Dogbe, aka Fofo Painter; and Emmanuel Quaye, aka Old School, unemployed, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit crime and four counts of robbery by the court presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist, after a three-year trial.
The convicts were sentenced to 40 years on each count, but the sentences are to run concurrently.
In delivering the judgement, Mr Justice Quist said the prosecution had proved the guilt of the convicts beyond reasonable doubt and consequently sentenced them.
Facts of the case
The prosecutor, a Chief State Attorney, Mr Matthew Amponsah, told the court that at about 2:00 a.m. on January 18, 2009, the robbers attacked the complainant, Mr Mensah, a manager of Unibank Ghana Limited, who lives at Mamprobi, Accra with his family.
He said while the complainant and his family were asleep, the five armed robbers and their accomplices, numbering about 10, attacked the inhabitants of the complainant’s house with guns.
The armed robbers, according to the prosecutor, attacked the security guard at the house by assaulting him mercilessly with the butts of their guns.
After overpowering the security guard, the armed robbers moved to the rooms where the children of the complainant were sleeping, broke the doors with blocks, attacked them and took them hostage.
The robbers then collected their mobile phones and various sums of money. Four of the robbers also moved to the bedroom of the complainant and attacked him.
The prosecutor stated that the men fired several shots into the complainant’s room through his window and demanded GH¢50,000 from him, amid threats of killing him.
The complainant, Mr Amponsah said, who had still locked himself up in his bedroom, out of fear, gave the robbers 700 euros through a window.
Not satisfied with that amount, he said, the robbers kept firing into the room and at a stage attempted to break into the room by hitting the door with blocks.
Sensing danger, the complainant, Mr Amponsah said, gathered courage and fired his gun which hit one of the robbers. Frightened, the robbers immediately fled the house.
The prosecutor stated that as they were running, one of the robbers shouted and mentioned Gaboo, the nickname of Gamelli, who is well-known in the neighbourhood.
The complainant reported the matter to the police, and few days later, Gamelli was traced and arrested. He also mentioned the name of the others.
Upon a tip-off, the four other convicts were also arrested.
Mr Amponsah told the court that all the five accused persons were identified by the victims, while their other five accomplices were on the run.
By Michael Donkor/Daily Graphic/Ghana