Three persons have been sentenced to 90 years’ imprisonment for robbing residents of East Legon and its environs. The convicts are William Gbeku, alias Minister, 34, a taxi driver and leader of a six-member gang of robbers; Pady Handson, alias Missed Call, 21, unemployed; and Stephen Sandowu, 28, a gardener.
They robbed residents of East Legon, Adjirigano, Trasaaco, Ogbojo and Madina in Accra.
The three, who were part of a six-member gang arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command, were charged with three counts of conspiracy to rob, robbing and abetment.
They robbed residents of East Legon, Adjirigano, Trasaaco, Ogbojo and Madina in Accra.
After the facts of the case had been presented to the court, the accused persons pleaded guilty to the offences and were convicted on their pleas.
Two others who had been arrested for buying the booty from the robbery by the convicts pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail with surety.
However, as of the time of filing this report, Daniel Owusu, alias Burger, 29, a second-hand television sets dealer, and Eugene Sakyiamah, 32, a general goods trader, were still in police custody because they had not met the bail terms.
Sentence
The court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, convicted Handson and Gbeku to 20 and 25 years respectively, to run concurrently, on the charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery .
Sandowu, who was charged with abetment of crime, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
In a second case in which all the three persons were charged with conspiracy to rob and robbery, the court sentenced them to 30 and 35 years, respectively, to run concurrently.
The court also sentenced Handson and Gbeku in a third case to 25 and 30 years, respectively, on two charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery.
Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Duuti Tuaruka told the court that the accused persons were arrested following a series of attacks they launched on residents of five communities in Accra.
He said Sandowu and Handson had, in one of the robberies, overpowered their victim and taken over his pump action gun.
Arrest
When they were arrested on August 1,2014, it was found out that Sandowu had posed as a gardener who moved from house to house the pretext of looking for menial jobs.
After he had secured a job, he leaked vital information to the other members of the gang to attack his employers.
The police retrieved some weapons and implements believed to have been used in the attacks from the suspects, including three pump action guns, one single- barrelled shotgun, 41 live cartridges, machetes, jack knives, pliers, a hammer, a spanner and a car jack.
Some of the stolen items found in their possession were eight mobile phones, Samsung tablets, iPhones, Internet modems, SIM cards, three television sets, wristwatches, sunglasses, passports and driver’s licences.
Source: Daily Graphic
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