Court remands armed robber in prison custody

Nkawie (Ash), Sept. 23, GNA - A 26-year-old farmer who robbed a maize dealer of her 2.7 million cedis with the threat of a cutlass was last Wednesday remanded in prison custody by the Nkawie circuit court. Kwasi Kyei whose plea was not taken will re-appear on September 28. Police Chief Inspector Abraham Adjei-Mensah told the court, presided over by Mr. Noble Nkrumah that Madam Abena Agyeiwaa, the complainant, lived at Abuakwa, whilst Kyei lived at Mfensi near Akropong in the Atwima-Nwabiagya district.

He said on May 23, this year, Kyei went to the house of the complainant and introduced himself as Opanin Kwadwo Yeboah, a famous farmer at Asempaneye near Mankranso and that he had enough maize for sale.

Chief Inspector Adjei-Mensah said the next day at about 0700 hours, the accused went back to the complainant and told her that his maize was ready for sale and then collected 100,000 cedis from the complainant and bought a cutlass and insecticides. The prosecution said the two then boarded a vehicle towards Mfensi so that the complainant could buy the maize, but on arrival at a spot near Topman Farms on the Abuakwa-Mankranso road, Kyei asked the driver to stop and got down with the complainant. Chief Inspector Adjei-Mensah said the accused then led the complainant into a nearby bush and robbed her of an amount of 2.7 million cedis under threat of a cutlass.

He said the complainant reported the case to the Mankranso police but all efforts to trace Kyei proved futile. On June 12, this year, he said an informant saw the accused at Sepase near Abuakwa but he managed to escape leaving his travelling bag behind.

Chief Inspector Adjei-Mensah said when the bag was searched, his photograph, bank savings book and other documents were found in it but they left the bag at where it was found and kept surveillance. He said Kyei returned to get the bag and was arrested and admitted during interrogation to have committed the crime and that he deposited 1.2 million cedis of the money at the bank and used the rest to renovate his rented room.