6 Robbers Jailed 25 Years Each

Six robbers were on Tuesday sentenced to 25-years imprisonment in hard labour each by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for robbing passengers of their eight (8) mobile phones and monies valued GHC 23,460.00 at Sureso on the Asankragwa –Bawdie road.

The accused persons, Fatawu Fuseini , Kwasi Acheampong, Kwadwo Owusu, Kwadwo Dubin, Ibrahim Jackson and Yaw Frimpong pleaded guilty and they were convicted on their own plea.

Presenting the fact, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante that on 1^st July, this year, at about 4:30 am, the accused persons armed themselves with locally manufactured pistols, single barrel guns and pump action guns and blocked the road at a Spot near Sureso on the Asankragwa- Bawdie road.

They robbed passenger in their vehicles travelling on the road of their money and mobile phones. The accused persons again shot and killed Anthony Oppong aged 53 years who was driving a Sprinter Bus No. AW 1999-4 from Samrebio to Kumasi with seven passengers on board at the blockage.

The prosecutor said all the persons on board the sprinter bus, a motorist and other passengers on board other vehicles were robbed various sums of monies and mobile phones.

The body of the deceased Anthony Oppong was sent to Enchi Government Hospital mortuary and deposited for autopsy.

Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah said Police as well as the residents of Sureso town organized a search party and entered the bush to look for the robbers. At about 11:00 am on the same day upon a tip-off, three accused persons, Kwasi Acheampong, Kwadwo Owusu and Kwadwo Dubin were arrested at Asankragwa and when they were searched, one dismantle locally manufactured single barrel gun and two cutlass were found on their luggage whilst the Fatawu Fuseini, who was one of them was also cited in the bush with other suspects. They started shooting at the search party.

He said one of the searched party members who is a hunter and was closer to the robbers returned fire and it hit Fatawu Fuseini , one of the accused persons at the left thigh before he was arrested.

The other robbers escaped but were later arrested upon a tip off at sureso and identified as Ibrahim Jackson and yaw frimpong.

The Prosecutor narrated to the court that on 3rd July, the accused persons, Kwesi Acheampong, Kwadwo Owusu, Kwadwo Dubin, Ibrahim Jackson and Yaw Frimpong were put on identification parade with other persons of similar built and height and fatawu fuseini, one of the accused who had confessed as one of the robbers identified Kwesi Acheampong,Kwadwo Owusu, Kwadwo Dubin, Ibrahim Jackson and Yaw Frimpong as his accomplices .

According to Fatawu Fuseini who was first of the accused persons, said it was Ibrahim Jackson who recruited the robbers and sent them to the robbery spot in a Taxi Cab and left them there after helping them to block the road with logs.

After necessary investigation, they were charge and arraigned before court.