A Koforidua Circuit court presided by Mercy Adei-Kotei has sentenced Amadu Bukari, 34, herdsman and Haruna Asor, 27, labourer to 25 years imprisonment each in hard labour on three counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit crime, to wit robbery.
They pleaded not guilty to all four counts and were convicted to 25 years imprisonment each on every count to run concurrently, four other unnamed accomplices are however at large.
The complainants were James Narh, a professional driver living at Kpongunor near Odumase Krobo, Doku Emmanuel, a driver who is the second complainant lives at Ashaiman, Richard Teye Roman, third complainant and also a driver lives at Odumase Krobo and the fourth complainants were a combined team of Police and Military personnel attached to the Forestry task force in the Eastern Region.
The facts of the case as presented to the court by the prosecution led by Assistant State Attorney, Ellen Samlafo were that, on February 4, 2019, Amadu Bukari, the first accused called Haruna Asor, the second accused and the others on phone to meet at Kpong near Odumase Krobo, ostensibly to proceed to Akateng near Asesewa to rob drivers and other unsuspecting persons of their valuables.
She said the accused then met at Kpone on 05/02/2019 during the early hours and proceeded to Asitey mountains where they made a stop-over and blocked the road at Asitey mountains along the Odumase Krobo-Asesewa trunk with white poly tanks and hid themselves in the near-by bush, while Amadu Karim, armed himself with a locally manufactured gun.
The prosecution said at about 3:15am, the first complainant, in charge KIA pick up with registration GS 4783-11 driving from Odumase Krobo to Akateng with goods, ran into the road block mounted by the accused and stopped where Amadu pulled his gun on the victim and asked him to surrender his money and phones, while Haruna, robbed the victim of cash of GH¢200 and two Nokia mobile phones valued at GH¢800.
Ms Samlafo said not too long afterwards, the second complainant who was in charge of a DAF premix fuel tanker with registration number GT 8470-W driving from Odumase Krobo to Akateng, also arrived at the scene and was stopped by the accused at a gun point, robbed of cash of GHC1,230 and two mobile phones valued at GHC850 at gunpoint.
The prosecution said sooner than later, the third complainant who was in charge Nissan Urvan bus with registration number ER 265 -16 driving from Odumase Krobo to Wassa Amenfi in the Western Region with some passengers on board also arrived at the scene and the accused ordered the driver to park the vehicle or else he will shoot and kill him and any other occupants of the vehicle.
She said based on those threats this victim stopped and was robbed of GHC300, a Tecno mobile phone valued at GHC500, while the other occupants of the vehicle were also robbed of unspecified cash and other valuables.
The Prosecution said at about 3:30am, the fourth group of complainants being the Forestry Task Force team also arrived at the scene from Odumase Krobo heading towards Koforidua on board a Nissan Navara vehicle no. GT 8245-13, with G/Sergeant Daniel Akamaro of Regional Police Headquarters, Koforidua, G/Cpl Joseph Brempong and L/Cpl. Wonder Agbanyo, both military officers of the first Battalion of Infantry, Michel Camp, Tema and armed with AK 47 rifle loaded with thirty rounds of ammunition, and two G3 rifles respectively.
She said on reaching the said road block, they stopped to find out why vehicles of the complainants had been parked in the middle of the road, unfortunately, the accused persons came out of the nearby bush and Amadu armed with locally manufactured gun used the butt to hit the occupant a officer, who sustained injury there and fell unconscious.
The Prosecution said immediately, the first accused snatched the Police officer’s AK 47 rifle No A7123, and started firing sporadically with it and ordered the two military men to surrender their arms or he would kill them of which they did.
She said Amadu then ordered the other unarmed accomplices to take away the military men’s arms into the bush, while he proceeded to rob the driver of the Taskforce, Kweku Ankamah at gun point of a cash of GH¢500, and then entered the bush in an attempt to flee the scene.
She said the two military men also entered the bush and managed to arrest Bukari, while the other accused fled, and the AK 47 rifle belonging to the Police officer was retrieved from him and then with his assistance, the security officers lured Haruna to the scene where he was also arrested.
Ms Samlafo said Haruna then led the Police and Military men to where he hid the two G3 rifles and same were retrieved with 20 rounds of ammunition each, while the other four accomplices with the accused fled.
The prosecution said a cash of GH¢1,158.70Gp was also retrieved from the two accused who were brought to the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters for investigations.
She said a Police medical report form was issued to G/SGT Daniel Akamaro, to attend hospital for treatment and after investigations the accused were charged.
GNA