I'm Sorry' ? Ataa Ayi

Aryee Ayeetey, alias Ataa Ayi, believed to be the nation's most wanted armed robber,has indicated that he was disowned by his parents because all efforts made by them to have him change proved futile.

Speaking at the office of the Accra Regional Police Commander in Accra last Wednesday, Ataa Ayi said "I know I have caused my aged mother a lot of pain and embarrassment but,"I hope she forgives me".

Ataa Ayi gave his mother's name as Madam Lamiley Mills who used to live at Adabraka but has now moved to Achimota and that of his father as Aryeetey Sugar, the?Asafoatse' of Kwabenya.

According to him he was the last of eight children on his mother's side and the only child between his parents.

Ataa Ayi said he attended Boundary Road School at Adabraka but dropped out in class six because at that time his mother travelled abroad and there was nobody to pay his school fees.

He said he fell into bad company so his elder sister took him to a mechanic to learn the trade and while still an apprentice he learnt how to drive.

He became a taxi driver after that and it was on one of his usual rounds that he met Raymond Amey and one Safo, both armed robbers.They later met in custody and after their release,they introduced him to car booth stealing. He said after sometime he was arrested by the police for breaking into a car booth and was put on remand for almost three years.

On his release from prison he met his colleagues and they started night robberies but he wasn't too keen on that so he opted for daylight robberies.

According to him he has masterminded over 36 robberies and has assisted other armed robbery groups on several operations.When asked what he does with all the moneys stolen from the numerous victims, Ataa Ayi said after every operation they share the booty among themselves.

He said he has always harboured the intention of travelling abroad so he changed his share into foreign currency.

Ataa Ayi indicated that he went to Nigeria in search of a connection to travel to either Italy or Germany but was duped by some visa contractors there so he lost all the money.

He said he also bought a piece of land at the Kasoa area but sold it later.When asked about the cars, he claimed he usually sold them to one Adam at the Konkomba market in Accra who in turn sold them in the north or Burkina Faso.

He claimed that he used to live at Adabraka with his family but moved to Ashiaman and has been there since.He only came to Teshie to visit his sister six days prior to his arrest.

On her part, Elizabeth Imoro, Ataa Ayi's wife, said she met Ataa Ayi in 2001 while working as a waitress at the Wokin Chinese Restaurant at Circle.

She said at the time, he was a taxi driver and they started going out.Elizabeth who hails from Bolgatanga lived with her parents at Town Council Line at Lartebiokorshie and attended the Bethel Academy School but her mother died so she continued at Sempe Six Middle School and fell out in form two.due to the death of her father.

She then went to live with an aunt at Lashibi and while there,her uncle who was by then the chef at Wokin assisted her to secure a job there.Elizabeth said when she met Ataa Ayi it never occurred to her that he was an armed robber and at a point he took her to Achimota and introduced her to his family.

She said Ataa Ayi owns two cell phones and was always receiving or making calls.According to Elizabeth, she got to know about his armed robbery activities when he accompanied her to her grandfather's funeral in the north.

She said at that time she was a few months pregnant and while in the village Ataa Ayi asked her to take him to the next village and as soon as they left,armed policemen stormed the funeral grounds looking for him.

It was after that incident that he told her about himself and threatened to kill her if she called off the relationship.