Eight jailed 370 years for robbery

An Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday sentenced eight people to a total jail term of 370 years for robbing four tenants and their families at gunpoint at Dworwulu in Accra.

That was after the court, presided over by Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibilities as a High Court judge, had found them guilty on charges of conspiracy to rob and four counts of robbery.

The convicts are Kudzo Dorglo, aka Agba; Bright Adjei, aka Cudjo; Francis Bediako, Ishmael Quarnor, aka T.T.; Kwame Boadi, aka Rasta; Kwamena Yeboah and Opoku Tuahene.

Danlad Ibrahim, who had pleaded guilty earlier, was convicted on his plea and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.

The convicts had in their possession seven locally manufactured pistols and 48 rounds of live ammunition when they were arrested by the police.

Obed Mensa, who had been held for dishonestly receiving, was, however, acquitted and discharged by the court after a submission of no case had been filed by his lawyers.

The case of the prosecution was that the complainants, Mary Martha Well, Mohammed Alfan, Anita Odei Osafo and Mrs Ogunshola Rachael, all lived in different apartments at Dworwulu in Accra.

According to the prosecution, the convicts, who lived in separate houses, had constituted themselves into a robbery gang in Accra.

About 2 a.m. on October 24, 2009, the convicts armed themselves with locally manufactured pistols and machetes and stormed the residence of the complainants.

When they got there, it said, the convicts tied up the legs and arms of the watchman at post and made away with many mobile phones, laptops, cameras, jewellery and various sums of money.

It said on November 1, 2009 the Accra Regional Police Command, upon a tip-off, arrested the convicts who had been terrorising residents of Dworwulu, Achimota, Abelemkpe and the Airport Residential Area by robbing them of their money.

When they were searched, seven locally manufactured pistols and 48 rounds of live ammunition were found in their rooms.

According to the prosecution, five of the pistols and 21 rounds of live ammunition were found in Dorglo’s room, while two pistols and 27 rounds of ammunition were found with Adjei.

Dorglo and Adjei claimed the pistols belonged to the group but the two were asked to take care of them.

On November 2, 2009, the Greater Regional Police Command held an identification parade and the complainants identified the convicts as those who had robbed them at gunpoint. —GNA