Two armed robbers jailed 20 years

Two armed robbers from Bogoso in the Prestea Huni/Valley district have been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each by a Circuit Court in Tarkwa.

Baba Musah, 21, an excavator operator, and Baba Musah Sumailah, 40, a security officer of Sing Zhen Dynamite Company, pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime, robbery and abetment of crime.

A mechanic apprentice, Sampson Aziakah, who was part of the robbery gang, claimed he was 16-years-old and the court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, ordered him to be held in police custody to enable the police conduct further investigations to find out his actual age.

Chief Inspector Faustina Selestina Anaman, told the court that the complainant, is a Chinese national and manager of China Sing Zhen Dynamite Company in Awona Nwanta, near Bogoso.

She said the convicts together with Aziakah, Wisdom Gyan and Eric Ashiamat, who are on the run, reside in the same area with the complainant.

The Prosecutor said, on April 23 this year at about 1820 hours, while the complainant and some of his workers were at the company's yard working, they saw the five robbers wearing mask and came upon them with cutlasses and guns. She said one of the robbers pulled a single barrel gun and threatened to fire anyone who came closer.

She said out of fear of being killed, the complainant and his staff surrendered and the robbers trooped to the complainant's office and took away GHC22,000 and three mobile phones.

Inspector Anaman said the robbers also whipped some of the workers with cutlasses and belt and after bolted with the money, shared it in a nearby bush and dispatched to their various destinations.

According to the Prosecutor, the police on intelligence arrested Baba Musah and Baba Sumailah.

The two, she said admitted the offence in their respective caution statements and Baba Musah told the police that it was Sumailah who informed them that the Chinese men would bring goods and money so they should come to the company's site and rob them.

She said Sumailah was, therefore, arrested for questioning and after a thorough investigations, they were all charged with the offence.