Benjamjn Kofi Larbi, a 24-year old car snatcher, has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Asamankese Circuit Court in the Eastern Region.
The Asamankese Circuit Court Judge, Abubakari Adams Abass caged the suspect for robbing a Toyota Yaris taxi cab with registration number AS 1869-20 last week.
Three of his accomplices: Stephen Kofi Gyamfi, 22, Kofi Richard, 20 and Kelvin Asante, 19 who pleaded not guilty have all been remanded into police custody to reappear before the court on March 31.
The four young men allegedly hired a taxi cab from Kumasi and ended up beating the driver to snatch it away.
They were arrested by the Asamankese police last Wednesday evening at Wasabiampa near Akroso when their move backfired.
The gang leader Stephen Gyamfi Kofi, hired the Toyota Yaris taxi cab with the registration number AS 1869-20 from Poku Sika Hotel, in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital to Nsawam to inspect his farmland.
However, upon reaching Suhum, the taxi driver, Enock Atuobi Okine was ordered by the ringleader to pick the three of his colleagues adding that after picking them up, the driver was directed to take the Asamankese road towards Akroso direction and branch to a village called Wasabiampa on the Akroso road, and while on their way, they asked him to stop near a bush.
According to the Prosecutor, the victim who sensed danger, told the suspects that he wants to ease himself in the bush, upon return the suspect attacked him and tried to lynch him but he managed to escape and reported the incident to the nearby police checkpoint at Adiembra.
The suspects were traced and arrested by the police with the assistance from the residents in the evening of the same day at Wasabiampa near Akroso where they were arraigned before the law court.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Asamankese