Three robbers suffer double agony before court
Three robbers suffered double agony before an Accra Circuit Court which gave them two lengthy jail sentences each for two robberies.
Isaac Amejor and Michael Baffour, aka Mike, ex-police and military officers, respectively together with Mutakilu Saddick, got 35 years imprisonment each for robbery after being slapped with a jail term of 30 years each by the same court for robbery earlier.
The Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, in the second case sentenced them after she found them guilty of robbing a mobile money vender who had withdrawn GH¢4,000 from Ghana Commercial Bank Dansoman- Sahara branch in Accra on March 22, 2023.
They also took away her two mobile phones and additional cash of GH¢950.
The three convicts were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, robbery, impersonation, preparation to commit crime, restriction on use of military uniforms and equipment.
Handing down sentence, the court said it considered how the accused persons used their status as ex-security officers to perpetrate the crime, the prevalence of the offence and the premeditation of the accused persons.
Mr Raphael Kofi Bonin, defence counsel, prayed the court to deal leniently with them as they had dependents, and they had shown remorse during the trial.
According to defence counsel, the accused persons had also spent two years in custody and urged the court to give them the second chance to reform.
Earlier, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Evans Kesse, prosecuting, said Amejor was dismissed from the Ghana Police Service while Baffour aka Mike resigned from the Ghana Armed Forces in the year 2014.
DSP Kesse said Saddick used to be a trader at Kantamanto, Accra but he abandoned his trading business.
Prosecution told the court that Amejor and Baffour resided at Kasoa while Saddick resided at Asamankese in the Eastern Region,
The Prosecution said the three accused persons, now convicts, became friends, and decided to form a syndicate that would constantly engage in robbery activities targeted at innocent citizens who visited various financial institutions to transact business.
The court heard that on March 22, 2023, the convicts met at Kasoa toll booth and hired a taxi to Dansoman to rob people who had withdrawn cash from financial institutions.
Based on that, prosecution said the accused persons went to the premises of Ghana Commercial Bank PLC Dansoman.
Prosecution said the convicts robbed one Priscilla Quansah, a mobile money vendor, who went to Ghana Commercial Bank, Sahara branch, to withdraw money.
According to prosecution, Saddick acted as a spy and entered the banking hall where he spotted the victim who had withdrawn GH¢4,000 from her merchant mobile phone.
Prosecution said Saddick quickly called his accomplices who sat in a get-away taxi on the street close to the bank. Saddick then joined his accomplices.
It said Amejor came out of the car and stopped the victim who was on her way to her business center.
Prosecution said Amejor informed the victim that her employer had reported her to them for committing an offence which he could not specify.
The court was told that Amejor then forced the victim into their vehicle and sandwiched her at the back seat.
At that time, Prosecution said Amejor was then wearing a police uniform while Baffour wore his military uniform.
Prosecution said Baffour then ascertained from the victim how much she had withdrawn from the bank and the victim mentioned GH¢4,000.
On their way, prosecution said Baffour ordered the driver to stop. Baffour alighted and ordered the victim to leave her handbag containing GH¢4,000 and additional GH¢950 as well as two cellular mobile phones, as they escorted her to her boss, one Mr Appiah.
Prosecution said on their way to meet Mr Appiah, Baffour abandoned the victim and ran back to the car and ordered the driver to speed off.
They paid the driver GH¢410 and shared the booty.
Prosecution said Saddick was given the victim’s android phone and collected the driver number, assuring him that they will be working with him always.
On Thursday March 23, 2023, Saddick called the driver to convey them to Tema where they had planned to rob.
Prosecution said the ex-security officers as usual wore their uniforms while Saddick wore his casual attire.
It said a surveillance team of the Ghana Police Service who had earlier on monitored the convicts then arrested them.
Source: GNA