A Nigerian who robbed a sales girl of GHC10,000 cedis while she was on her way to deposit the money at the bank, was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Destiny Cheneze Chinaka, a carpenter, was convicted after the court had found him guilty on the charge of robbery.
According to the court, prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt the offence of robbery leveled against Chinaka.
The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh said it took into consideration the accused person’s plea for mitigation made through Mr George Assamaney who acted as a friend of the court.
According to Mr Assamaney, the court should deal leniently with Chinaka as he was not known to the law, married with a child and was the bread winner of the family.
Counsel contended that after consulting with Chinaka in court, he had shown remorse and vowed not to have anything to do with the law.
“With season greetings, my lord please give us the minimum sentence,” counsel prayed.
Summing up, the court recounted that the convict in his statement to the Police admitted being at the crime scene and he assisted in collecting the money from the ground.
According to the convict, he became a Good Samaritan and instead of being shown gratitude, he was rather being vilified with a charge of robbery.
Based on his statement, the court pointed that Chinaka, said two weeks on his arrival in Ghana from Ibo State, on the day of the incident he boarded a commercial vehicle to an unknown place.
The convict said when he alighted at Pig farm, he spotted the complainant, Faustina Abrabra with a white polythene bag.
According to Chinaka, he could see the money in the bag, hence he snatched the bag and jumped onto a waiting motor bike which sped off.
However, the convict noted that, he and the motor rider were crossed by a Zoomlion truck which knocked them down and money scattered. The motor rider escaped with the motor bike and he was nabbed.
The court indicated that the identity of the accused person was not in doubt as the complainant and other prosecution witnesses identified him.
It recounted how the convict indeed snatched the money and told the court that he did not use force and questioned as why he should be charged with robbery.
According to the court, Chinaka knew what constituted robbery.
Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Patience Mario said on August 12, this year at about 0900 hours, the complainant Ms Abrabra was sent to deposit GH 10,000 cedis into an account at the SG-SSB Bank, Pig Farm which was a walking distance from her shop.
A few meter to the bank, Chinaka spotted Ms Abrabra’s money which was concealed in a white polythene bag and he snatched the money and jumped onto a waiting motor bike.
A Zoomlion truck driver, however, crossed the convict and the motor rider. Chinaka fell from the motor bike while the rider escaped.
Prosecution said Chinaka run to the Pig Farm Total Filling Station and he was nabbed and escorted to Kotobabi Police Station.
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