Three armed robbers get 90 years

Sunyani, June 8, GNA - The Sunyani High Court on Wednesday sentenced three armed robbers to 90 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbing the Agricultural Development Bank at Kwapong in the Asunafo District of Brong Ahafo.

Salifu Mohammed 29, Yaw Sekyere 24, and Nana Akwasi Boadu 24 pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery but were found guilty by the court and were sentence 30 years each in hard labour.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Martin Dafiamephor, told the court presided over by Mr L. L. Mensah that, on August 29, 2005 at about 0130 hours, the night watchman of the bank, Simon Awuni, reported at the Kwapong Police Station with marks of assault on his body and informed the police that, whilst on duty the accused persons and two other now at large, armed with local pistols, attacked him at the bank premises.

He said the robbers beat the watchmen, tied his legs and hands with nylon rope and covered his head with a fertilizer sack till he became weak and then broke into the bank.

ASP Dafiamephor said the robbers cut through the burglar proof and entered the storeroom of the bank and succeeded in taking money-counting machines, a calculator, a wrist watch and a Yamaha motorbike with registration number BA54730C, all belonging to the ADB away but without any money.

He said based on the information the police sent wireless messages to all police stations in the country for their arrest and at about 0400 hours on that same day, police on check point duties at Nyinahene in the Ashanti Region intercepted a taxicab with registration no. GR8043R. ASP Defiamephor said that the accused persons were arrested together with the items but during interrogations they denied stealing them but they were charge with the offence and were put before the court. 8