Three armed robbers jailed 62 years in Koforidua

Koforidua, July 19, GNA - Three armed robbers have been sentenced to a total of 62 years in prison with hard labour by a Koforidua High Court on Tuesday.

The robbers, Twum Ampofo, 26, Kwaku Reuben, alias "Mogya", 26 and Yaw Boakye, Onua Play Boy, 34 who attacked and robbed a fuel dealer and his co-worker of 120 million cedis, were sentenced on two counts of conspiracy to rob and robbery.

Ampofo and Boakye the first and third accused respectively were each sentenced 20 years for conspiracy to rob and another 20 years for robbery, both sentences were to run concurrently. The second accused, Reuben was sentenced to 22 years for conspiracy to rob and another 22 years for robbery, the sentences were to run concurrently.

In passing the sentence, Mr Justice Francis Korbieh, the Presiding Judge, described the three armed robbers as "selfish and morally bankrupt, who have to be weeded out from society". On February 24, this year, the three accused persons and three others still at-large, attacked one Mr Osei Kwadwo, a fuel dealer and Madam Augustina Owusu Adjei and robbed them of 120 million cedis. Mr Osei, who worked with Madam Adjei at a Mobil Filling station at Koforidua closed from work and drove home but just as they were about to enter their house, at about 2200 hours, six armed men, who had laid ambush, attacked them and took away the money.

Another two million cedis, a mobile phone, a pair of jeans trousers and some jewellery, all belongings of Madam Adjei were also taken away and in the process the robbers threw a young boy, who was with the complainants in the car, into the bush before they bolted away. Mr Osei, who knew Ampofo because he once worked with him, therefore reported the incident to the police and he was arrested with the others from their hide out and charged with the offence.