West Hills Mall robbers jailed 50 years
An Accra Circuit Court, on Monday, handed a 50-year jail term to two persons who were arrested in connection with the recent robbery at the Silver Bird Cinema at the West Hills Mall, Weija, in Accra.
Sulley Jali, 24, a truck pusher and Stephen Ayombah, 20; on May 24, conspired and robbed one Frank Owusu of his Samsung Galaxy Mega G3 mobile phone valued at $500, and caused harm to one Owusu and one Albert Adomako Mensah through gunshots.
They pleaded not guilty to all the charges before the Court, presided over by Justice Francis Obiri, but were found guilty by the Court at the end of full trial.
They are to serve 25 years each for robbery, 15 years each for conspiracy, and three years each for causing harm, all to run concurrently.
Giving his judgment, Mr Obiri said the fact that the convicts were able to rob in broad day light meant they were brave and daring robbers, adding, the public would be at peace if such people were taken away from society.
He said they again deserved a harsher sentence because during the robbery they also shot indiscriminately causing harm to two people.
This, he said, the Court believed, would also serve as a deterrent to others.
The Court also said that Sulley had stood trial at the same Court before over another robbery case, but his case was struck out for lack of prosecution.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Martin Acheampong, prosecuting, had told the court that at about 1545 hours on the said date, the Greater Accra Regional Police Command received a distress call that a gang of armed robbers had invaded the projection room of the Silver Bird Cinema, where the accounts office was situated, amidst firing of gunshots within the West Hills Mall.
He said the Police attended to the call and managed to arrest the two, indicating that one foreign pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition, an empty shell and a pair of scissors were retrieved from them.
DSP Acheampong said the convicts, who were shooting indiscriminately at the premises of Silver Bird Cinema, shot Mr. Owusu and Adomako Mensah who were later rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The Prosecutor told the Court that the two also made away with the said mobile telephone belonging to Mr. Owusu.
He said investigations revealed that Sulley had been involved in a similar robbery and that the case was pending for determination.
DSP Acheampong said Stephen told investigators earlier that he took the pistol from a Fulani man at Sandema and decided to rob with it to enable him to get GH¢1,500 to settle the hospital bills for his pregnant wife who had been diagnosed of Hepatitis B.
He said further investigations disclosed that Sulley had after his Court bail, been a regular patron of the West Hills Mall and took advantage of that to locate the accounts office where they targeted.
Source: GNA