Three robbers jailed 195 years

Accra, Feb. 27, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court on Friday sentenced three persons to 65 years' imprisonment each for robbing a lecturer and his family of their belongings at gunpoint at Odorkor. Solomon Duodu, aka Alhaji, a barber; Eric Cobbina, aka Adolph Hitler, a shoemaker; and Kingsley Amankwah, aka Spider, a driver; pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and robbery.

The court presided over Mr Justice Samuel K. Asiedu, however, found them guilty and convicted them accordingly. The Prosecution called five witnesses during the trial. The police have arrested two accomplices whose names were given as Opele and Tilapia, who were at large, and are expected to be arraigned soon.

Mr Augustines Obuor, a State Attorney, told the court that, at about 0130 hours on September 12 2008, Dr Robert Darko Osei and his household were woken up by a loud bang on their kitchen door. The Prosecution said six armed men, two of who were in masks, stormed the house and broke into all the rooms in the house. In the process, the Prosecutor said, Lieutenant Colonel Darko (rtd), the complainant's father, was shot in the right thigh. The robbers after assaulting them, made away with a laptop computer, four mobile phones, two wedding rings, jewelleries and cash in the sum of GH¢1,540 cedis. The Prosecution said the incident was reported to the Police and during investigations Duodu was arrested with one of the mobile phones. Duodu in his caution statement mentioned Cobbina and Amankwah as those who sold the phone to him. When Cobbina was arrested he denied knowledge of the phone, adding that he had never met Duodu.

On October 6, 2008 Cobbina was identified by a witness in the case as one the robbers, who attacked them on that night. The Prosecution said Duodu's relations later arrested Amakwah. 27 Feb. 09