Two jailed 40 years for robbery

An Accra Circuit Court sentenced two people to 20 years in prison each for robbing a Best 5 Company Limited sales agent of GHC303,035 at gunpoint.

Samuel Quansah alias Amobi, a herbalist, and Stephen Acheampong, a driver, pled guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Quansah was additionally charged with possession of arms and ammunition without authority.

The court presided over by Isaac Addo convicted them on their own plea and sentenced them to 20 years imprisonment on each charge.

However, sentences will run concurrently.

Emmanuel Etsiwa aka Tsampana, an accomplice and resident of Enyanmaim in the Central Region, is said to be at large.

The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer said the complainants are Ali Mousa Dagher, a sales representative of Best 5 Company Limited and Dominic Essel, the company’s driver.

It stated that on August 15, 2023, the complainants, accompanied by Acheampong, arrived at the Police Station at about 1840 hours and reported that at about 1535 hours on the same day, while returning from Ashaiman to the company’s office, two armed robbers stopped the vehicle and robbed them of money totalling GHC3 03,035 at gunpoint at a section of road within Tesano, Accra.

According to the prosecutor, after carefully listening to their witness accounts, the Police arrested Acheampong for further investigations.

The court heard that during police preliminary investigations, Acheampong confessed his involvement in the robbery incident and mentioned Quansah and Etsiwa as his accomplices.

The prosecution said on August 18, 2023, the case investigator led a team of police officers drawn from the Accra Regional Police Intelligence Department and the Mankessim District Police Command to Enyamaim township to trace and apprehend the said accomplices from their hideouts.

However, on reaching the town, Quansah had wind of the police’s presence and went into hiding.

The prosecution said at 1530 hours on August 19, 2023, the police squad tracked Quansah to a newly built residence about three miles from his (Quansah’s) house.

Quansah hid in his father’s room upon seeing the police officer.

According to the prosecution, Chief Inspector Jonathan Prince Amoadu, who was part of the team, signalled they were police officers and officially introduced himself to Quansah’s father when he approached him.

It said Chief Inspector Amoadu also advised Quansah to surrender to the Police.

The prosecution said Quansah dashed to a room, picked up a single-barrel gun, shot Chief Inspector Amoadu in the abdomen and fled to hide.

“While the first accused person (Quansah) and the father were still in the room, they fired several gunshots at the Police through the window. The Police tactically retreated and managed to overpower and arrest them from the room,” the prosecution said.

The prosecutor said the Police conducted a search in the said room and retrieved one single barrel gun, 11 AAA spent cartridges, eight lives AAA cartridges, a locally manufactured pistol, and a bag containing GHC195,191 suspected to be part of the money from the robbery.

Another locally manufactured pistol was found under Quansah’s bed when the search extended to his abode in an uncompleted building.

The prosecution said the wounded police officer was rushed to the Mercy Women’s Hospital at Mankessim for treatment but was later transferred to the Cape Coast Government Hospital.

During the investigation, Quansah confessed to the crime and claimed that Acheampong was the mastermind behind the robbery.

The prosecution said investigations further revealed that Quansah did not have the required permit to possess and use the weapon.

Meanwhile, Quansah’s father, Kwesi Quansah, has been brought before a District Court for “committal processes,” and efforts are being made to apprehend Estiwa, who is still at large.