A Takoradi Circuit Court “B” on Friday sentenced James Boah Baffoe, 23, and Brururu Siamme, 24, both illegal miners, to 15 years in hard labour each for conspiracy and robbery.
In the dock with them was Dzizonyon Zafoe, 23-year old illegal miner, who was acquitted and discharged for abetment of robbery.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Felix Danku told the court, presided by Mr Justice Charles Nimako, that at about 5. 30 p.m. on November 28, last year, the complainant, Anthony Buah, a gold buyer, was returning to his house at Bamiankor from Dominase on foot when he was attacked by Baffoe and Siamme with a sword at a section of the road around 7.00 p.m.
He said Baffoe and Siamme beat him mercilessly and robbed him of his handbag containing a Nokia mobile phone, seven pellets of gold valued at 1,645 Ghana cedis and cash of 2,000 Ghana cedis, a gold scale and a calculator.
Chief Inspector Danku said Baffoe and Siamme shared the money, sold three of the gold pellets and gave the remaining four pellets to Zafoe for safe keeping.
He said a Good Samaritan, who was travelling from Bamiankor to Dominase, heard the complainant shouting for help in the bush and went to his rescue.
Chief Inspector Danku said the complainant was taken to the Dominase Police Station where a report was made and investigations led to the arrest of the accused persons who were later charged.