An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs Evenly Asamoah, has sentenced four young men to 120 years for various offences namely: robbery, possession of fire arm without authority, conspiracy and abetment.
The four convicts, Daniel Akpan, Ismeal Akyene, Bassey Okon Edet, Asuquo Mbuotidem Edem were arrested and prosecuted after robbing a businessman, Kennedy Nkansah, in his residence at Pobiman near Amasaman.
Narrating the facts to the court, Chief Inspector Simon Appiosonu told the court that on Feburay 26, 2019, at about 2:20 am, whilst the complainant was asleep with his family, Mr. Nkansah heard a noise from his electric fence alarm system and thought it had developed fault.
Soon after, he saw a flash light under his bedroom door and when he opened the door to check, he saw the accused persons.
Chief Inspector Apporsornu said Asuquou Mbuotidem Edem pointed a pistol at him while Daniel and Ishmeal were wielding cutlasses and a self-designed metal bar respectively. Asuquou armed with the pistol, marched the victim to his bedroom while Daniel and Ishmeal also with their weapons, brought the complainant’s junior brother (name withheld) to join him and the wife sleeping on their bed in a prostate position. Their two children were also locked up in a different room.
The accused persons covered them with bed sheets and cloths and ransacked the rooms while Bassy Okon Edet was placed in the yard with a cutlass for monitoring. Ishmeal took 6 Samsung mobile phones, and one IPhone 6S valued at GHC 4,500, took their wedding rings, jewelries, kente cloths, 10 yards of lace materials, two and half Hollandaise all valued GHC 2, 860. They also took a duo compaq laptop and cash sum of GHC, 18, 000 and USD 3,000.
When leaving the scene, he fired shots to scare people.
The complainant reported the case to the police after the incident and accused persons were arrested at their hideouts.
After the full trial each of the accused persons was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with hard labour, despite pleading not guilty to all charges.
According to the trial judge, such young men should not be in the society disturbing the peace of the general public if they do not want to have a decent jobs to do.
