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Seven persons who robbed a Supreme Court judge and a banker of their vehicles, a laptop and other personal effects at gunpoint, have been sentenced to a total jail term of 175 years by an Accra Circuit Court.
Nene Kwadwo Tetteh, aka Chairman Obed, who was not present while judgement was to being pronounced, has been sentenced to 25 years in absentia.
Welbeck Oppong, an accomplice, who escaped from lawful custody and still at large, was also sentenced 25 years in absentia.
The rest, who witnessed the trial, namely: Nana Kwabena Ackah, Isaac Agyemang aka Batman, Kweku Boaning, Frederick Kwasi Boateng aka Boat and Kofi Debrah were jailed 25 years each by the court after a full trial.
This was after the court presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, a High Court Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a Circuit Court judge, found them guilty at the end of the trial.
They were variously charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery, three counts of robbery and having possession of stolen property.
Meanwhile Delali Alomatu, an accomplice, who pleaded guilty before the commencement of the trial in 2016, was serving 24 years jail term.
Prosecuting, Inspector Samuel Ahiabor narrated that the complainants in the case were Supreme Court Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonu, who was then a Court of Appeal Judge and Mr Anthony Kodua Bediako, a banker.
Inspector Ahiabor said the accused persons were self-styled businessmen.
Prosecution said on December 8, 2016 at about 8:30 pm, the first complainant, Justice Torkonu was on board her official vehicle, Toyota Fortuner with registration number GM 6852-13 and was returning from a night church service.
Upon reaching her residence at Baatsonaa-Spintex area, she was attacked by a gang of armed robbers numbering more than six who attacked and robbed her of her vehicle, a laptop valued at GH¢1,300 and one iPhone valued at GH¢600 cash of GH¢900, US$50 and three Bibles. The robbers bolted after the incident.
The robbers not satisfied, further drove Justice Torkonu’s vehicle to the house of Mr Bediako (2nd complainant) at Anyaa, where they further attacked him at gunpoint and robbed him of his Hyundai Santafe vehicle with registration number GR 714-16, cash of GH¢350 and a Huawei mobile phone and bolted.
Prosecution said on July 16, 2017, Tetteh and Ackah who were in the company of his criminal syndicate namely; Kofi Newton, Nana Osei, Robert Tackie, all at large and removed the original number plates of the two vehicles to wit; Toyota Fortuner and Hyundai Santafe attempted to sell both vehicles.
The prosecution said the would-be buyer alerted police because they had previously defrauded him of cash in the sum of GH¢25,000 under the pretext of selling another vehicle to him but bolted with the vehicle after collecting his money.
The Prosecutor said the police managed to arrest three of Tetteh’s accomplices namely; Robert Tackie, Kofi Newton of the premises of Tesano Ecobank, but Tetteh managed to escape.
The prosecution said July 14, 2017, intelligence led to the arrest of Tetteh as the leader of the robbery incident. Tetteh, however, escaped from custody. He was however picked up this year (2020) by the Police.
Further investigations into the case disclosed that Tetteh and Ackah together with his accomplices now at large, sponsored criminals by providing them with weapons and ammunitions to embark on robbery expeditions within Accra and Tema municipalities.
Prosecution said when the accused persons were successful, they brought all the booty namely vehicle, TV Sets, and various sums of money to Tetteh to share.
Thereafter, Tetteh and Ackah also re-spray the vehicles and sell them.
On November 28, 2017, Prosecution said intelligence received at the Regional Police Command Accra to the effect that the accomplices of Tetteh and Ackah are hiding at Kade in the Eastern Region.
According to prosecution, a team of detectives were dispatched to Kade where they managed to arrest Alormatu and Kweku Boaning.
During interrogation, they admitted the offence and mentioned Agyemang who had also been arrested in a similar robbery case by the Sakumono Police as their accomplice who led them to the house of the Supreme Court Judge and thereafter handed over the Toyota Fortuna vehicle to Tetteh as he sponsored their robbery activities and Tetteh further gave them cash, the sum of GHS 4,000.00 as part payment. They further mentioned Yaw Sofeh and Kwamena Oppong now at large as their accomplices.
The prosecution said on February 7, 2018 intelligence led to the arrest of Welbeck Oppong at Apedwa in the Eastern Region.
The prosecution said Fredrick Kwasi Boateng, a.k.a. Boat, was also picked up by the Police at Akwatia in the Eastern Region. Kofi Debrah was also nabbed at Kasoa as those being part of the robbery syndicates.
After investigation, the accused persons were charged with the offences.
GNA
