Court remands driver accused of snatching taxi

A 32-year-old taxi driver, who conspired with his wife to rob a driver of his Mazda Damio taxicab valued at GHS30,000.00 has been remanded into prison custody by the Tarkwa circuit court. 

Timothy Amponsah, the accused person, who was charged with conspiracy and robbery, pleaded guilty with an explanation.

He said, “My judge l am jobless, and my four children were out of school, this made me commit the crime. I am pleading to the court to temper justice with mercy”.

The court presided over by Hathie Ama Manu after listening to Amponsah’s explanation entered a plea of guilty for him and deferred his sentence to Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

Police Chief Inspector Joseph Lartey, the prosecutor, told the court that Sampson Arhin, 28, a taxi driver, who lives at Ankobra in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality was the complainant.

He said the accused person and the wife Sheilla Omano, who was currently on the run, are residents of Asebu- Ankromah in the Central Region. 

On March 5, 2023, around 1800 hours, the couple agreed to travel to Prestea and rob a taxi from any driver they chanced upon.

According to the prosecutor, the same day at about 2130 hours the accused and the wife who arrived at Prestea to carry out the operation, spotted the complainant in his taxicab with registration number AS 9230-22 and signaled him to stop. 

The two then hired the services of the complainant from Prestea to Dumasi to visit a friend, but on arrival around 2230 hours, Omano made a phone call and later told Arhin that the person they came to visit had left to Bogoso so they should proceed to the said place.

Chief Inspector Lartey said in the course of the journey, Omano sat on the front passenger’s seat, while the accused who sat directly behind the driver attacked him around a rubber plantation and smeared powered pepper on his face.

He said the complainant lost control of the vehicle and the engine went off and the accused pushed him out of the vehicle and drove to an unknown destination. 

On March 6, 2023, the complainant reported the incident to the police in Bogoso and was given a medical form to attend the hospital, where he was treated and discharged.

He said on March 11, this year, police upon further investigation, arrested Amponsah at Asebu 

Ankromah with the vehicle which had a different registration number AS 2716-19. 

The prosecutor said during a search in the accused person’s room, the complainant’s original number plate was found.