Armed robber jailed 80 years

Kumasi, March 17, GNA - A 24-year-old armed robber, who shot and kil= led his victim after robbing him of GH¢96,200.00 has been sentenced to 80 y= ears imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court. Prince Adu Boakye denied killing Yaw Atta Obiri, a businessman, and mentioned one Francis Gonzalez as the one, who committed the heinous act. He, however, admitted receiving his share of the booty. Mr Otoo Boison, a state attorney, told the Court presided over by Mr=

Justice Emmanuel Amoh-Yartey that the deceased on August 4, last year, approached the convict to assist him change GH¢96,200.00 into US dollar= s, which he readily agreed to do.

He said at about 0900 hours that day, Boakye directed Obiri to meet him at the Bibiani Logging and Lumber Timber Company Limited at Kaase, to collect the dollars from a friend, George Wireko Brobbey. The deceased, accompanied by one Kwasi Adjei rushed to the place carrying with him the GH¢96,200.00 where, he patiently waited at the reception until the convict finally arrived in a VW Golf saloon car, with=

another person who works with the Company.

Here Boakye signaled Obiri to wait as he entered one of the offices. He later emerged holding an Ecobank cheque and asked him to go with him to the Ahodwo branch of the bank to cash the cheque from a dollar account= .. Obiri's friend Adjei was asked to wait as the convict and the deceas= ed drove away in the VW Golf car. At the bank, he entered an office and tricked the deceased into believing that the Manager was arranging for the dollars to be picked at the Adum branch and asked that they waited at a hotel till they were through with the transaction.

He said at about 1530 hours the two set off towards the Adum branch of the bank, but Boakye drove straight to another hotel and parked the car behind the building with the excuse that he was delivering something to a=

friend. He had all this while concealed a loaded pump action gun in the car'= s booth, which he picked and shot at Obiri killing him instantly. After the crime, he dumped the body at Apre-Santasi and bolted with the money. Blood stains in the car and a pair of shoes of the deceased gave Boa= kye out and after his arrest the gun and an amount of GH¢79,000.00 were retrieved from him.