Court sentences two for robbery

Two persons were on Monday sentenced to five years imprisonment each by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit crime, and robbery.

Samuel Akwaanor and John Akakpo were said to have conspired with six others, now at large and robbed different people of their personal belongings and an amount of money totalling GH?3,000.00.

They were sentenced after the court found them guilty of the offences and are to serve five years each for both counts of conspiracy and robbery to run concurrently.

The Prosecutor Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Morkeh told the court that the complainants Etse Sakyi and Ardey Bibio are masons residing at Amamorley, while Samuel is a wood carver and John is a driver.

He said both accused persons and six others now at large posed as land guards who terrorised land lords and masons around Amasaman and its environs.

He said on March 23, 2013, at about 0800 hours when the complainant and his workers were working on someone’s building at Odumase, the first accused led his team to the site and threatened them with cutlass and demanded for money but the complainant told them the landlord was not around.

DSP Morkeh said Samuel ordered the complainant to call the landlord on phone to come around. As soon as he removed his Nokia phone, Samuel seized it from him.

He told the court that suddenly one of the accused persons held the complainant, searched him and removed an amount of GH?400.00 from his pocket.

The prosecution said after the operation, they moved to Obom, where the second complainant Arday and some truck drivers were winning sand in a pit. They pulled out cutlass and threatened the drivers to give them money.

He said in the process, Samuel, ordered the complainant to call the owner of the concession to give them money or else they would be slashed.

DSP Morkeh said as the complainant, Arday called his boss, one Ibrahim and asked him to give them GH?100.00, but the accused persons rejected the money and threatened the drivers one after the other with cutlasses and collected GH? 100.00 each from them and run away with the booty.

He told the court that a report was made to the police and John was arrested while running away with his accomplices.

According to the prosecution, on April 24, 2013, Samuel reported himself to the Amasaman police station and he was arrested for investigation.