The Koforidua Circuit Court” B ” has sentenced a 39-year-old Police Officer, Corporal Ghasty Yaaya Seidu, to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour for a robbery attack on a fuel station in 2018.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery and robbery, however, the Presiding Judge Her Honour Mercy Addei Kotei stated that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt his involvement in the robbery incident which occurred March 26, 2018, at Okwenya Shell Fuel Station.
He was convicted 20 years on each count to be run concurrently.
The Court however discharged and acquitted his accomplice-Seth Kpornyo.
The Prosecuting Officer, Dickson Donkor led by the Regional State Attorney, Mrs. Emily Addo-Okyereh during the maiden hearing of the case in 2018 told the Court that the two accused persons were part of an eight-member gang of armed robbers who attacked the Okwenya Shell Fuel Station in Somanya on March 26, 2018 and made away with the amount of Ghc37, 581.
He explained that the robbers after resistance by the Security man on duty, tied the security officer, inflicted cutlass wounds and shot at his head before locking him and one other staff in a room.
The Prosecutor said, the armed robbers then broke into the safe and bolted away with the money before the arrival of the Police.
The Victim, 42-year-old security man, Kudjo Akakpo who was severely injured during the robbery, identified the two accused persons after he was discharged from the hospital.
He said Investigators from the Regional CID led by Deputy Regional Crime Officer, DSP Seth Serwonu during the investigation into the incident led to the arrest of the two accused persons on April 26,2018 at Akosombo and Somanya respectively.
A search conducted in the room of the accused Police officer after his arrest led to the retrieval of one Bruni Pistol mode 92 together with two magazines and three 1.8mm ammunition.
He added that an axe, a knife, 3 paper spray, 10 Wrist Watches, a pair of handcuff and a bayonet were also retrieved while a search in the room of Kpornyo Dodzi at his house in Trom, a suburb of Somanya, also led to the retrieval of 19 BB/AA live Cartridges.
The accused Police officer said the pistol was given to him by his late grandfather but later said during Police interrogation that, one Jewel gave it to him for service. Meanwhile, his accomplice told Police the cartridges retrieved from his house were given to him by his company.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
