Two jailed 40 years for robbery

Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - Two persons who robbed a taxi driver of his cab and money after threatening him with a cutlass were on Monday sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment each by an Accra Circuit Court. Philip Nii Armah Tagoe, a 19 year-old driver, and Nii Abbey Mensah a 26 year-old unemployed man, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and robbery. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Nicolas M. Abodakpi, a High Court judge sitting with additional responsibility, convicted them on their own plea and sentenced them to 20-years' imprisonment on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently. Before handing down sentence, Tagoe declined to plead for mitigation but Mensah pleaded for leniency saying he would not repeat the robbery.

The facts as presented by the prosecution are that, on May 20, last year, Mr. Joe Attah was hired by the accused persons at about 2300 hours to take them from Mpamprom at Kaneshie to Korle Bu in Accra. On their way the convicts ordered him to stop and Attah, who became aware of the danger he faced, obliged. The convicts, armed with a cutlass, then robbed him of the car, driving licence and GH¢73.

He lodged a complaint with the Police at Korle Bu who in turn sent wireless messages to police stations in Accra. A Police patrol team saw Tagoe and Mensah and chased them. Realizing that they would be caught, they abandoned the car but Tagoe was arrested and sent to the Korle Bu Police Station where Mr. Attah identified him. In Tagoe's caution statement, he mentioned Mensah as his accomplice. On October 21, last year, Mensah was arrested at Mataheko where he had been hiding and he confessed to the crime.