A taxi driver who snatched the bag of a lady containing cash and other valuables on her way to church at gunpoint with the help of two accomplices has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused person, Kwasi Labah alias Dutch was sentenced by Aboagye Tandoh who said he found the suspect guilty of the robbery.
His accomplices whose names were not known were fugitives from justice.
The suspect had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, robbery and escape from lawful custody after he had attempted to run from the police after his arrest.
According to the trial judge, the prosecution team led by Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu had been able to prove the guilt of the accused person beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial judge said he believed the evidence of the witnesses brought by the prosecuting team but the suspect had failed to convince him of his innocence in the robbery and had consequently sentenced him.
The facts of the case as narrated by Inspector Adu were that the complainant lives at Teshie Lascala while the accused person was a driver who stayed close to St Bartholomew Anglican Church.
He said on February 20 2015 the complainant was on her way to church in the morning when on getting close to the church, the suspect and two others in a taxi with registration number GC 5647Z met her and asked her for directions.
He said just as she finished directing them they pulled out a locally manufactured pistol and demanded she gave them her bag or they would shoot her so she surrendered her bag containing GH¢550, pens and sanitizer.
He narrated that the suspects quickly entered the vehicle while the lady stood there shouting for help. A few metres away from the church the suspects ran out of fuel and abandoned the car and took to their heels.
He said they suspects managed to escape and the driver was only arrested on February 27, 2015 after a tip off and he told the police he would lead them to arrest the other suspects but had to plan because his accomplices were dangerous criminals.
The police officer said the accused person led them to a place and pointed to some persons and as soon as the police wanted to arrest them he(driver) took to his heels and was re-arrested.
The inspector said the suspect was arraigned after police concluded investigations.
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