Galamsey operator jailed 50 years for robbery and murder

Sekondi, March 17, GNA - A Sekondi High Court on Monday sentenced Martin Kofi Asumani, a 33 year-old small-scale miner to 50 years' imprisonment in hard labour, for robbery and murder.

The court ordered that Asumani should be sent to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison to serve his sentence and should not be allowed to "contaminate" other prisoners at the Sekondi Prisons with his negative influence.

When asked for his comments before sentence was passed, Asumani looked at the presiding judge and said no comment. He had pleaded not guilty on his first appearance on February 26 this year.

Prosecuting, Mr William Kpobi, a Principal State Attorney told the court that on May 14, 2001, Asumani went to the store of one Madam Mary Agyeman, a mother of five around 1800 hours at Tarkwa "18" and clubbed her to death after which he covered her body with bags before looting the her shop.

Mr Kpobi said eyewitnesses who saw the suspect enter the shop thought he was a customer, and therefore paid little attention to him while he carted quantities of suitcases away.

He said while carting away the bags, Asumani said repeatedly: "Madam I will be back" and came back for more of the suitcases until he was done.

The prosecutor said around 2200 hours when the victim had still not closed her store, the landlady gave padlocks to one of her assistants to lock it since it was late and her whereabouts was not known.

Mr Kpobi said 30 minutes later, the husband of Agyeman arrived at the scene and when he could not trace his wife, he lodged a report with the Police.

The police organised a search in the store and discovered the woman's body lying in a pool of blood.

The prosecutor said the suspect fled to Tekunaso, near Tarkwa after the incident adding that on August 21, that same year, an informant alerted the Police on the hideout of the suspect, who had also shot a taxi driver with a locally manufactured gun, ostensibly to snatch his vehicle from him at Adiembra near Assin Fosu.

The Court heard that Asumani also clubbed his 67 year-old grandmother, Akua Nsonowah to death in 1996 on her farm after robbing her of 120,000 cedis and fled.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Clemence Honyenugah, said the convict was a great liar, brutal and heartless.

He warned that "the arm of the law" is very long and would catch-up with individuals who have made robbery their major occupation. Justice Honyenugah commended Chief Inspector George Quarshie, the investigator in charge of the case for his thorough work, leading to the discovery of very vital evidence and recommended that he should be promoted.