Court jails labourers, mason for robbery
Five Labourers and a mason have been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for robbery and agreeing to act with a common purpose to commit crime.
Peter Akakpo, Enerst Nana Kwame Acheampong, Vincent Agbetorglo, Robert Tawiah and Danlad Seidu Drumah, all labourers and Gabriel Kojo Agyemang, the Mason, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri said robbery had become a national issue and people like the convicts did not deserve mercy.
The convicts were said to have attacked one Gerhad Temda and his household with cutlasses, guns and knives and stole from them laptops, mobile phones, cameras and other household items and a cash amount of GH¢900.00.
The facts of the case as presented by Madam Winifred Sarpong, State Attorney, are that, upon information that a group of young men armed with locally manufactured pistols were attacking and robbing residents of Agbogba, Abla Adjei, Ashongman and Parakou Estate, the Accra Regional Police Command on March 3, 2011 mounted an operation to curb the situation.
She said during the operation the SWAT team of the Police National Headquarters arrested the convicts from their hideout along with some of the stolen items.
Madam Sarpong told the court that during investigations, the Police Public Relations Unit caused an announcement to be made on air inviting robbery victims in the areas mentioned above to report to the Police.
The State Attorney said some victims responded to the call, including the complainant and his wife, who identified all the accused persons as the group that robbed them at Parakou Estates.
She said the complainant said the convicts took away some household items valued at GH¢2,000.00, including their Fuji camera valued at GH¢400.00, a Sony audio system valued at GH¢500.00, Toshiba laptops, mobile phones and a cash amount of GH¢900.00.
Madam Sarpong said upon investigations, two of the convicts, Danlad Seidu and Vincent Agbetorglo led the Police to some of the houses they robbed, including that of the complainant.
She said at the crime scene it was observed by the Police that the convicts got access into the house by scaling over the walls, adding that the Police also saw gunshot marks on the walls of some of the rooms.
Source: GNA