Man jailed 75 years for murder

A 40-year-old ‘Akpeteshie’ distiller, Kwaku Twum Barimah, is to spend the next 70 years behind bars after being convicted of killing an Indian at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The convict and an accomplice, Akurugu Apelege, attacked, robbed and killed Rajesh Muraleedhara, a quality inspector with Maryghan Ghana Limited, dealers in cashew nuts, at his residence at Anyinabrem, a suburb of Techiman, on May 9, 2013.

They succeeded in robbing the deceased of GH¢33,111.00 and a gold chain valued at GH¢1,000.

Barimah, also known as Seth Oduro Twum, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and robbery and was subsequently sentenced to five years and 70 years in prison by the Sunyani Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ekow Mensah.

The sentence is to run concurrently.

His accomplice, Apelege, who is also known as Dauda Sadat, 36, is already doing time in jail after being convicted by the court on the same counts and sentenced to 65 years’ imprisonment in June, this year.

Another accomplice, Peh Kwabena Mathias, 28, a sole agent for the company of Rajesh, who was convicted of conspiracy, was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on May 9, 2013.

Barimah, who was armed with a pistol, shot Rajesh on the forehead during the attack. He was rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital for treatment and later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, where he died shortly on arrival.

According to the police, their investigations established that the three convicts became friends while on remand and serving various prison terms at the Nsawam Prisons, but were released under the Justice for All programme.

The facts of the case presented by Superintendent of Police, Mr Fredrick K. Agyei, were that the complainant, Sunnesh Sushaakaran, a quality inspector with Maryghan, and Rajesh lived on a storey building with two apartments on the first floor and used the ground floor for a warehouse and offices.

He said Barimah resided at Agona Swedru in the Central Region, while Mathias worked directly under the complainant and Rajesh.

Mr Agyei said some time in April, 2013, the three convicts met in Accra after Mathias had been arrested there for fraud. He said Mathias later invited Barimah and Apelege to Sampa, also in the Brong Ahafo Region, where they hatched a plan to rob the company.

The prosector told the court that Barimah and Apelege spent two days at Sampa and before they returned to Accra, Mathias gave them a pistol after they had discussed the plan.

Mr  Agyei said on July 6, 2013, Rajesh withdrew GH¢70,000 from the Techiman branch of the Merchant Bank for business, which Mathias carried to the house. A day after the money was sent home, Mathias informed Apelege about it and asked him to proceed to Techiman so that he could rob Rajesh for them  to share the booty.

On May 9, 2013, Barimah joined Apelege in Techiman and Mathias took them to the workplace of Rajesh for them to study the area and plan the robbery.

Rajesh engaged some casual workers to bag some cashew nuts, which were in the warehouse and loaded some onto a trailer to be dispatched to Tema for export.

The complainant and Rajesh, the casual workers, as well as Mathias, finished the loading at about 11:30 p.m. and were paid by Rajesh before he and the complainant retired upstairs to bed.

Shortly after Rajesh and the complainant entered their apartments, Barimah and Apelege, armed with the pistol and a knife, emerged from the kitchen, attacked them and robbed Rajesh of the gold chain and the money. It was in the course of the robbery that Rajesh was shot by Barimah.

Barimah escaped with the booty, while Apelege, Mathias and a security man were arrested and arraigned.

Barimah was later arrested at Swedru upon a tip-off and during interrogation; he admitted the offence and mentioned Mathias as the one who conspired with them to rob Rajesh.

Sentencing the convicts, the presiding Judge, Mr Mensah, said the convicts deserved to be dealt with harshly and appropriately to serve as a deterrent to those who might have similar motives.

By Samuel Duodu/Daily Graphic/Ghana