Mother cries foul over son's conviction

Kumasi, Dec 19, GNA - The mother of an 18- year-old student who was convicted to 84 months imprisonment on Wednesday over robbery, says her son was framed up and would do anything possible to make his accuser pay for it.

Immediately the sentence was pronounced, David Agbogili's mother threw her hands in despair and said she had left everything to God, but later in tears vowed to make whoever was behind her son's predicament, face the consequence.

The convict, who was charged with the offence pleaded not guilty to it but was found culpable in the course of the trial. Meanwhile, his accomplices are on the run and police is making all efforts to bring them to face justice.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Archibald Kwesi Fandoh told the Kumasi Circuit Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amoh-Yartey that the complainant is a student in Accra, but lives at Ahensan Estate in Kumasi where Agbogili and the four accomplices reside.

He revealed that on November 12, 2008 at about 23:30 hours, the complainant, Akari Dennis Browne who had visited a friend, one Alexander Asamoah Boakye, resident of Kumasi as well as a witness in the case and was returning home, when he met the gang ostensibly on its robbery expedition at Ahensan and its environs. Armed with a hoe, cutlasses and towels used as masks, members of the gang robbed him of one Power Temperature Control Voltage Machine and bolted.

The prosecution said the accused persons after the act gave the booty to Agbogili for safe keeping, whereas the shouts of the complainant attracted some sympathizers, who searched the area which was bushy and managed to arrest only the convict but the rest escape. Agbogili who was lying in an uncompleted house at the time of arrest, was found with the hoe and the stolen item. He was handed over to the police and after investigation he was charged.

However, during the investigation, the docket was sent to the Attorney General's office for advice and it was directed that the accused person should be prosecuted, thus, he was arraigned.