2 robbers bag 80 years

Two armed robbers said to be notorious for car snatching, in the Central Region have been sentenced to 80 years imprisonment with hard labour.

The convicts, Micheal Boateng, a phone dealer and Kojo Enock, unemployed were charged with conspiracy to rob, robbery and committing crime and were found guilty of the offences by the Cape Coast Circuit Court presided over by Mrs. Florence Kai Otu.

Chief Inspector Charles Yao Anku, the prosecutor, told the court that on August 10, 2011, the Accra Regional Police command received information that a robbery syndicate suspected to be robbing and snatching cars from people in the various regions were operating under cover at Kasoa in the Central Region.

The Police therefore mounted an operation which led to the arrest of Micheal Boateng and Kojo Enock who during interrogation confessed to having stolen eight cars.

He said further investigations conducted by the police led to the recovery of four out of the eight cars.

He noted that the accused on July 12, 2011 attacked and robbed Isaac Kwakye of a Kia Rio with registration number GR 6784-11 valued at GH₵9,000.00 at Awutu Breku.

He added that they continued their robbery activities and later robbed Francis Paddy on May 6, 2011 of a Kia Sephia taxi with registration number GW 2663-11 at Awutu Bontiase.

He said that Micheal Boateng and Kojo Enock on June 10, 2011 at Odonase/Abura, also in the Central Region, robbed Enock Aidoo of a Kia Rio valued at GH₵8,400.

The complainants who are also victims of the respective robberies later reported at the Central Regional Police headquarters, Cape Coast and identified two of the cars.

The robbers pleaded not guilty but after a full trial, they were found guilty and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy, 15 years’ each for robbery and another 15 years’ each for committing crime.

Micheal Boateng, the first accused prayed the court to have mercy on him due to ill health resulting from his being remanded while Kojo Enock also pleaded for mitigation of punishment.

Delivering the judgment, Mrs. Kai Otu said she took their pleas for mitigation into consideration and therefore dealt leniently with them.