Two armed robbers jailed 50 years

Accra, Aug. 12, GNA - An Accra High Court presided over by Mr Justice G.A Aryeetey on Tuesday jailed two armed robbers 25 years each for robbing a timber merchant and his family at gun point in July 1999 at East Legon, Accra.

Kwadwo Osei, a 47 year-old trader and Abdul Qudos, a 36-year old welder, were found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery after a seven-member jury returned a verdict of guilty against them on all the charges.

Sentencing them, Mr Aryeetey said he took into consideration the spate of robbery and the loss of lives as a result of robberies in the country.

He said; "such persons must be kept away from the society to ensure peace in communities".

Immediately the sentences were pronounced, the Counsel for the convicts, Mr S.B Odoom, drew the attention of the court to the fact that that his clients had spent three years in custody but the trial judge insisted that "their sentences should start today". Mr Odoom noted that his clients had no alternative than to accept the verdict of the jury, adding, "considering the circumstances under which his client were brought to court they found it difficult to exonerate themselves". Counsel pleaded further with the court to consider the years, his client had served as any additional incarceration would destroy their lives and pleaded that, "they should be given lesser sentences, or should be warned, cautioned and discharged." Mr Johanes Vegbe, Assistant State Attorney had told the court that on July 4, 1999, at about 03:00 hours the complainant and his family heard an unusual sound in their living room and when he came out, he saw Osei and Qudus and three accomplices, now at large armed with rifles. Osei and Qudos went to the complainant's bedroom and took away one million cedis, a set of jewellery, six ladies' and gent's wristwatches and a brown brief case containing the complainant's personal documents. The Prosecution said Osei and Qudos later joined their accomplices in the living room after taking 10 pieces of wax prints, a TV set, four pairs of shoes and canvass, 1.3 million cedis, 500 dollars, 50 pounds and 40 Deutsche marks.

The Prosecution said upon a tip off the Police rushed to the house of Osei where one Panasonic video deck, two pieces of wax prints, a TV set, a brown brief case containing the complainant's documents were found. During interrogation, Osei said he bought the items from Qudos. Later the complainant identified the two at a parade as those, who robbed him and his family.