3 Jailed 85 years for stealing car
An Accra circuit court Monday sentenced three people to a total of 85 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for engaging in robbery.
That was after the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, had found them guilty on charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery.
Robert Kofi Andoh was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to rob and 30 years for robbery; Harrison Brown Adarkwah was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to rob, while Benjamin Aidoo was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to rob and 30 years for robbery.
Facts of the case
Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuareka told the court that the complainant was a trader living at Alhaji, near Tabora in Accra.
He said Andoh was a taxi driver living at Israel, also a suburb in Accra; Adarkwah, unemployed, lived at Achimota Mile 7, while Aidoo was a footballer and lived at Alhaji near Tabora.
DSP Tuareka said on June 19, 2013, Andoh and Adarkwah planned to rob the complainant of his unregistered Toyota Camry saloon car.
They contacted Aidoo and one other who is at large to assist and they agreed to the deal.
About 11:30 p.m. on June 21, 2013, Andoh armed himself with a machete and a padlock, while Aidoo armed himself with a pepper spray.
The two then went and laid ambush near the complainant’s house, while Adarkwah stood by the roadside to alert them when the complainant appeared with his car.
The three accused persons were there until about 4 a.m. the following day when the complainant pulled up at his main gate, only to realise that the gate had been locked.
When he came out of his car, Andoh and Aidoo attacked him from behind and demanded his car keys.
The prosecutor said the complainant released the keys to Aidoo for fear that they might kill him.
Andoh and Aidoo quickly jumped into the car and drove to the main road, where Adarkwah joined them.
The accused persons drove the car to Adarkwah’s girlfriend’s house at Prampram.
They later drove the car to a witness in the case at Adoagyiri to secure a loan of GHc7,500.
The prosecutor said Adarkwah, who claimed ownership of the car, was told by the witness to write an undertaking and also to produce the car’s documents for the loan.
On July 4, 2013, Adarkwah went to the witness with the car documents.
The witness, after interrogating Adarkwah, became suspicious and handed him over to the Nsawam Police, together with the car.
The witness further called Andoh to come to his house, to which Andoh obliged.
The witness again handed him over to the Nsawam Police.
The complainant rushed to the Nsawam Police Station the same day on hearing that his car had been found and identified the car and Andoh as one of the robbers who had attacked him in front of his house.
writers email:michael.donkor@graphic.com.gh