Driver's mate jailed 10 years for robbery

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 Source: GNA

Agona Swedru, Aug 31, GNA - An Agona Swedru Circuit Court presided over by Mr Charles Adjei Wilson on Tuesday, sentenced Kofi Akapoh, an 18 year-old driver's mate and two others on the run to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbing a Taxi driver at knife point at Papase NO 1, near Kasoa in the Central Region. Prosecuting, DSP Christian Bortsi told the Court that the accused and his two friends, David and Paa Kwao went at about 9 AM and hired an Opel Astra taxi to Awutu Bawjiase.

He said on reaching Adawukwa, they asked the driver to take them to Honi to pick their sister but did not where they said they were going but continued to a village about a kilometre away. When they alighted and went behind a house, they came returned and told the complainant that their sister had gone to another village near Danchira and directed the driver towards a bush road. On the way they asked the driver to stop and Paa Kwao now at large told the complainant that they were going to kill him and pulled a knife out and threatened to stab him.

He told the Court that the driver became frightened and got out of the car and took to his heels and David who is also at large and the accused removed their knives and gave him a hot chase to a distance and returned to taxi to join Paa Kwao.

DSP Bortsi said they searched the car and took away an amount of 2,680,000 cedis being a month sales the drivers was going to give to his car owner.

He said they also removed the car tape and a mobile phone the driver left in the car, a witness in the case who was riding bicycle towards the robbers saw them and they quickly abandoned the car and run into the bush.

DSP Bortsi told the Court that the complainant got to a nearby village and called for assistance and on the way to scene they met the witness who led them to where the suspects were they entered the bush. He said they saw them and gave the three a hot chase and arrested the accused but his two accomplishes managed to escape. The Prosecutor said the police were making efforts to arrest the two on the run.

Source: GNA