A Circuit Court at Wa in the Upper West Region has sentenced three young men to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour each for robbery.
They are Rashid Eliasu, 23, unemployed, Diawudeen Mahazu, 24, unemployed, and Wilfred Tibe Maaku, 28.
The three, who were armed with pistol, were said to have robbed the Odo Guest House in Wa and made away with an unspecified amount of cash, a motorbike, decoders and mobile phones with a total value of over GH¢5,000.00.
They pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery. However, the court, presided over by Mr Isaac Bright Akwantey, found them guilty after a full trial and convicted them to serve a 10-year term each on both counts, to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kweku Bempah told the court that on October 1, 2014, at about 8:00pm, the three went to the Odo Guest House and held the night watchman hostage after threatening to blow off his head.
DSP Bempah said Eliasu, Mahazu and Maaku then forcibly opened the glass doors of the cashier’s office and took away the sales for the day, five decoders, five mobile phones and a motorbike with registration number M14UW2403.
DSP Bempah said in the process of breaking the glass door to the cashier’s office, one of the accused persons, Eliasu, sustained a deep injury on the lips caused by a piece of the broken glass leaving blood stains on the floor.
According to the prosecutor, the police alerted the various health centres nearby in the Wa Municipality and Regional Hospital to inform the police should anybody bring such wound for treatment.
DSP Bempah said at dawn, around 3:50am the next day, Eliasu was accompanied by Mahazu and Maaku to the Wa Regional Hospital for treatment.
The Police was alerted and the three were arrested.
The prosecutor said traces of the blood samples on the floor of the guest house which was collected marched Eliasu’s blood type.
He said the police were able to retrieve the motorbike, four mobile phones and two decoders when their rooms were searched and were handed over to the owners on the orders of the court.
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