An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 42-year-old man to 15 years in prison for robbing a taxi driver at gunpoint.
Mensah, also known as Red, was sentenced after the court, presided over by Susana Eduful, found him guilty following a full trial.
Before his sentencing, Mensah insisted that he did not commit the crime, adding, “God knows my heart that I did not commit the crime. But if the court thinks I am guilty, I thank the court.”
Prosecution’s Facts
Narrating the facts of the case, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Teye Okuffo, said that on September 6, 2023, at about 3:40 a.m., Mensah engaged the services of the driver to take him from Kwame Nkrumah Interchange to Sabon-Zongo Market.
Upon reaching Ayigbe Town, Mensah, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, pulled out a pistol on the complainant and threatened to shoot him.
“Out of fear, the complainant stopped the car, and Mensah attacked him violently, dragging him out of the vehicle.
“Mensah then took over the car and sped off to Agbogbloshie Market, where he parked it,” the prosecutor said.
Thereafter, he stated that Mensah, along with one other person who is still at large, was looking for a buyer for the car.
C/Insp Okuffo added that on September 8, 2023, at about 7:30 p.m., the National Police Intelligence Directorate received information and proceeded to Agbogbloshie, where they arrested an accused person who was later discharged and from whom they retrieved the exhibit.
This led to Mensah’s arrest.
Mensah is said to have stated in his cautioned statement and disclosed to the police that he engaged the services of the complainant at Korle Bu Traffic Light and admitted the offense.
“On the same day, the complainant went to Korle Bu and reported the robbery. After the arrests, the accused persons and the exhibit car, along with the police extract form, were brought to the Police Regional CID/Accra for further investigation.
“The police and the accused persons visited the crime scene, where the accused displayed to the police how they robbed the car from the complainant.
“Investigation revealed that the accused persons had committed a series of robberies in the Greater Accra Region, and other dockets have been called for pending investigation,” the prosecutor said.
