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A 24-year-old welder, Kwame Adjei, has been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment with hard labor for robbery.
He pleaded guilty when he appeared before the Jasikan Circuit Court on June 27 and was convicted on his own plea.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Vincent Kpodo, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mar Michael Johnson Abbey that the complainant was a part-time okada rider residing at Dain-Konta in the Republic of Togo.
On June 22, this year, at about 15:00 hours, the complainant parked his 'Haojue Metro' motorbike, which was red and black in color, waiting for a passenger.
While waiting, the convict hired him to Kadjebi and agreed to pay a fare of 2,500.00 CFA.
The complainant, with the convict as a pillion, crossed the Menuso, the main Ghana-Togo border, and upon reaching the Menuso Customs checkpoint, it began to rain.
ACP Kpodo stated that the convict insisted they continue the journey despite the rain, and upon reaching a bushy area at Bogos Junction, between Menuso and Kadjebi on the Kadjebi-Nkwanta highway, the convict sprayed a peppery substance into the face of the complainant, blinding him instantly.
The complainant quickly stopped and used his motorbike's remote control to lock the engine and fled to safety.
The convict then robbed the complainant of his motorbike and pushed it away. On the same day, the complainant went to Menuso town, raised an alarm, and a search party was formed to look for the convict and the motorbike.
During the search, the complainant's motorbike was found in a cocoa farm in Bogos Kope area, and the convict was traced and arrested at the Kadjebi main lorry station.
He was then handed over to the Kadjebi Police, and a search revealed the key to the stolen motorbike, leading to his arrest.
ACP Kpodo added that the police conducted an identification parade, and the complainant identified the convict as the assailant.
In the convict's investigation caution statement, he admitted to the offense.
