Two unemployed young men who attacked and robbed a telecommunication recharge card and mobile money retail shop at Awutu Bereku, near Kasoa in the Central Region, have each been sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment in hard labour.
Jonson Weduwa and Mohammed Salifu on February 20, 2017, wielding an AK47 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition which was concealed in a bag, raided the shop.
They are said to have held hostage the two complainants who were on duty on the day and succeeded in robbing the shop of GH¢1,660, Tigo, Vodafone and Glo recharge cards worth over GH¢6,119; MTN Sim cards and three Tecno mobile phones valued at GH¢739.
They however, ran out of luck as the two operators of the shop raised an alarm, leading to their arrests by the residents of the area.
Mohammed Salifu, in an attempt to escape after he had been apprehended, sustained severe injuries and it took the timely intervention of the police to rescued him and rushed him to the Winneba Trauma Hospital for treatment.
The weapon used in the robbery was retrieved by the police and Jonson told them (police) that he had bought it from Cote d’Ivoire and that he was going to exchange it for some cattle at Paga in the Upper East Region.
They were hauled before the court for two counts of conspiracy and robbery, while another charge of unlawful possession of firearm was proffered against Johnson.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court, presided over by Aboagye Tandoh, held that while the accused persons denied the offences during the trial, the evidence before the court proved otherwise.
He noted that although Jonson Weduwa and Mohammed Salifu told the court that they went to the shop to transact business, investigations proved contrary.
Mr. Tandoh ruled that the two also contradicted themselves in their evidence statements, with each saying that it was the other who first entered the shop.
He ruled that the evidence before the court also showed that the two knew each other, although they told the court they did not.
The judge found the two guilty of the offences and convicted them accordingly for both counts, to run concurrently.
Jonson Weduwa got another three months for the charge of unlawful possession of firearm.
Mr. Tandoh also ordered the police to destroy the robbery weapon in the presence of the court’s registrar and as well, hand over any other items that were retrieved from the convicts upon their arrests.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak