The Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced one Mohammed Buzu, a 29-year-old trader to a total of 20 years in jail for pulling a machete on the Country Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and robbing him and his wife.
The convict was found guilty on two counts of causing harm and robbery.
For his sentence, he is to serve five years on causing harm and 15 years for robbery.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Rosemary Baah Torsu, said the punishments are to run consecutively.
This means the convict is to serve a combined 20 years for the two charges.
Two other persons, Kenneth Antwi, aged 25, and Baffour Adjei Gyimah, 34, all traders, who were charged with abetment, were discharged by the court.
The three accused had pleaded not guilty and after full trial, the court returned guilty verdict against Buzu and discharged Antwi and Gyimah.
Brief facts
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector of Police Martin Adu Acheampong told the court that, the first complainant is Dr. Oral Williams, an Economist, while the second complainant Mrs. Claudia Allen Williams, a teacher, both residents of Cantonments, Accra.
Chief Inspector Acheampong told the court that, Buzu resides at Dansoman, Antwi resides at Kasoa, and Gyimah a mobile money vendor is a resident of Amasaman Obeyiyie.
He said on January 18, last year, around 3am, Dr. Oral Williams and his wife, Mrs. Claudia Allen Williams, both of whom were asleep, heard an unusual noise in their bathroom.
When Dr. Oral went to the direction of the noise, he met a man who was unmasked and armed with a sharp machete and pliers. The man attacked him and demanded money.
When Dr. Oral told him he had no money, the robber became furious and slashed the left hand before robbing the couple of one Iphone X, a Samsung J7 mobile phone, a Blu Vivo 5 smart phone, an iPhone earpod, one kate spade black leather bag containing their USA, St. Kitts and Ghana drivers licences, sunglasses, a cash of GH¢2,900, $200 USD and other complimentary cards.
The prosecutor said Dr. Williams was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital after which he was flown to South Africa for further treatment.
A tracking device installed on the stolen mobile phone led to the arrest of Buzu.
Police intelligence then led to Buzu at his hideout in a hotel around Nkrumah Circle, Accra, and when a search was conducted in his room, they found documents of the victim and when the suspect was interrogated he admitted to the crime and led police to arrest Kenneth Antwi, the sole receiver of the stolen goods.
Buzu also admitted to the police of robbing expatriates, especially the diplomatic corps at their residence.
The prosecution said Buzu had been on police wanted list as part of the 12 armed robbers, including WO Samuel Agbadokur (rtd), Staff Sgt. Emmanuel Tetteh and some fetish priests who robbed a gold company at Wassa Akropong in October 2018.
He said the suspect escaped with the gold and the cash to the republic of Benin and returned recently.