Convict arraigned for robbery

Alex Ampong, 29, was on Monday remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for robbery.

Alex, a driver, was said to have robbed one Ebenezer of a Nissan Almera taxi with registration number GW6635-14, worth GH¢ 30,000.00, the property of one Fredrick Korankye.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge but was remanded by the Court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh to reappear on November 30.

The facts of the case as presented by Chief Superintendent of Police Duuti Tuaruka are that the complainant is a driver and lives at Darkuman, while the accused is also a driver based at the Tema Main Habour.

He said on October 18, at about 0900 hours the complainant was in charge of the said yellow and green taxi which he drove to Lapaz for work.

Chief Superintendent Tuaruka said Alex hired the services of the complainant from Lapaz to New Achimota, but when they got to the proposed area opposite the New Achimota International School, and asked the complainant to park the car whiles he made some phone calls.

The prosecution said all of a sudden the accused person moved from the back seat to the front seat, pulled a locally manufactured pistol at the complainant and ordered him to surrender the ignition key or he would shoot him.

Chief Superintendent Tuaruka said the complainant resisted and got down from the car, picked stones in an attempt to hit the accused person who shot at him and drove the taxi away.

He said the complainant sustained injuries and shouted for help so he was rushed to the Achimota Hospital for medical care.

The case was reported to the Achimota Mile 7 police for investigation, and a medical form was issued.

According to the prosecution, the accused person later changed the registration number from commercial to private number, and on October 23, he sent the car to a sprayer at Ashiaman to change the colour of the car.

Chief Superintendent Tuaruka said Alex in other robberies had committed, had also sent those cars to the same sprayer who for the change of colour.

He said the sprayer was subsequently arrested and with his assistance Alex was arrested when he brought two cars, one belonging to a police officer at Tema, for spraying.

He was arraigned before Tema Circuit Court and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.