Carpenter jailed 25 years for robbing Ama Busia
A 22-year-old carpenter who robbed a former member of the Council of State was yesterday sentenced to 25 years in prison with hard labour by the Accra Circuit Court.
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Paul Afari, together with two friends, entered the house of Madam Ama Brema Busia, a sister of the late Prime Minister of Ghana, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, at 8 a.m. on March 3, 2015 and robbed her of $35,500, 3,000 euros, £300 and GH¢25, 000.
The convict and his accomplices, on the pretext of being sent by Madam Busia to reroof her house, used a knife to attack her three housemaids and blindfolded them before breaking into a metal safe in her bedroom.
After sharing the booty, the convict used part of his share to purchase a motorbike, which was retrieved by the police.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Francis Obiri, a High Court judge, sitting as an additional Circuit Court judge, ordered that the motorbike should be sold within one month by public auction and the proceeds given to Madam Busia.
Charge
The convict was charged with two counts of conspiracy and robbery, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He was given 15 years sentence on count one and 25 years on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Sentencing
Prior to the judgement, counsel for the convict, Mr George Asamany, told the court that Paul committed the crime because of peer pressure, an assertion that was flatly rejected by the court.
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Counsel, however, pleaded with the court to deal leniently with him since he was a first-time offender and had shown remorse for his action.
However, the prosecution said the rampant nature of robbery in society had made it unsafe for the people.
It, therefore, prayed the court to impose a severe sentence on the convict to serve as a deterrent
Background
The prosecution said the complainant is a retired public servant and a resident of Abelenkpe, a suburb of Accra, while the convict is a carpenter and resident of Lapaz.
His accomplices, Godsway Nutakor and Nana Yaw Asase, who are at large, are unemployed and residents of Alhaji Tabora. Godsway was a former houseboy to the complainant.
It said at about 7.20 a.m. on March 22, 2015, the complainant left home to attend church service at the Calvary Methodist Church at Adabraka. She left three of her housemaids at home.
Soon after she had left, the houseboy, Simon Tawiah, heard a knock on the main gate.
The prosecution said he quickly rushed to open the gate only to find Paul and Nana Yaw there. Paul told him that they (he and Nana Yaw) had been called by the complainant to take measurement of the roof since she wanted to reroof the building.
The houseboy let them into the house and the two (Paul and Nana Yaw) went to take a ladder to the rooftop and later descended. As soon as Paul descended, he held the houseboy and slapped him twice on the face.
He then ordered the houseboy to lie down, pulled a knife and threatened to stab him if he resisted.
Paul and Nana Yaw then tied the houseboy’s hands behind him with a piece of cloth, blindfolded him and covered his mouth. They escorted him to the sitting room where they ordered him to lie down under the guard of Nana Yaw.
Paul and Godsway went to the kitchen and the guest room to attack the two housemaids. “They inflicted knife wounds on the ladies when they refused to hand over the complainant’s bedroom key to them,” the prosecution added.
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The robbers tied the hands of the two ladies and blindfolded them.
The two forcibly opened the complainant’s bedroom with a pinch bar and hammer, ransacked it and forced open her metal safe.
They eventually made away with $35,500, 3,000 euros, £300 and GH¢25,000.
Police intelligence, however, led to the arrest of Paul at Worawora in the Volta Region and during investigations he admitted the offence.
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