Miner jailed 10 years for his share of robbery booty

An illegal miner, Francis Asante, has been sentenced 10 years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court for taking part in the sharing of robbery booty.

He was charged with conspiracy and dishonestly receiving, and pleaded innocent.

Two other people he stood trial with, Kofi Boakye and Richard Takyi had earlier been jailed 25 years each by the court.

Other accomplices numbering four, whose names were not given, are on the run.

Assistant State Attorney Cecilia Animah Peprah told the Court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that the convicts are illegal miners Sefwi-Sraha and Huu-Akwansrem.

On July 30 last year at about 0800, Boakye, Takyi together with the four others on the run, raided a Chinese mining site at Atabrakoso in the Amansie West District, where they seized from one Rita Badu and her Chinese employer, gold and cellular phones valued at about GH¢50,000.00.

They also severely beat up their victims until they blacked out and left them to their fate.

The robbers later attacked and robbed another miner, Kofi Azumah, and Clifford Adusei Tweneboah, a teacher, of their cash totaling GH¢5,100.00 as well as cellular phones.

Not satisfied, they shot and injured Azumah and Tweneboah in the left hand and the right thigh, respectively and deflated the tyres of their Toyota 4Runner.

The prosecution said the victims were sent to the Mangoase Hospital for treatment with the Chinese being referred to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and later transferred to China for further treatment.

Police investigations led to the arrest of Boakye on August 8, at his Ahwiaa hideout in Kumasi, and he confessed to the crime.

Takyi was later apprehended, but the others escaped

It also came out during police interrogation that part of the booty went to Asante, and these were recovered after his arrest.