Electrician jailed 20 years for robbery

A Circuit Court in Accra on Tuesday sentenced Joshua Kudjo, an electrician, to 20 years imprisonment for robbing a lady of her bag containing 3,100 dollars, an ipad and other personal effects.

This was after the Court had found Kudjo aka Jerry Quainoo who is already serving 18 years in another case, guilty on the charge of robbery.

The Prosecution during the trial, called two witnesses to make their case but Kudjo did not call any after pleading not guilty to the charge.

Mr Justice Francis Obiri, the trial judge, invoked the inherent jurisdiction of the Court and ordered that the convict should serve his 18 years along with the current 20 year conviction.

He also ordered the Police to refund 2,900 dollars (cedi equivalent) which was paid into Kudjo’s account at the Osu branch of Ecobank to Ms Victoria Acheampong, the complainant in the matter.

This was made known through the tendering of receipt from the Forex bureau and pay-in slips of the bank by the prosecution.

The Court said during the trial it came to light that Kudjo gave 3,100 dollars concealed in an envelope with the inscription “Bank of America,” which was stolen from the complainant, to his errand boy to pay the same in cedi equivalent into his (Kudjo’s) bank account.

According to the Court, Kudjo’s errand boy, however, took 200 dollars as his share of the money.

The Court said the said envelope with the inscription “Bank of America” containing the money was retrieved from Kudjo’s room during a search.

The case as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) is that the complainant is a public servant residing at West Legon while Kudjo resides at Kuntunse, near Amasaman in Accra.

Prosecution said on November 11, last year, at about 9:30pm the complainant attended a funeral and while returning she drove through the road that linked Fiesta Royal Hotel and GIMPA.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant on reaching the T-Junction at GIMPA/Legon Road stopped to give way to traffic on her left side. As soon as she stopped, Kudjo emerged from a nearby bush and with force opened the front side passenger door and picked complainant’s hand bag.

In the complainant’s bid to prevent him from taking the bag, Kudjo threatened her with a hammer he was holding. Eventually, Kudjo run into the bush with the complainant’s hand bag containing the items including two reading glasses and a bunch of keys.

DSP Acheampong said the complainant reported the matter to the Police for investigations. On November 28, last year at about 8:00pm, Kudjo was seen hidden in the bush at the same spot with a hammer ostensibly to embark on another operation.

The prosecutor said Kudjo was picked up by the Police Patrol Team.