Asamankese Circuit Court Presided over by His Honour Abass Abubakari Adams has sentenced a motorcycle Rider and a Labourer to 30 years imprisonment in hard Labour for stealing and robbery.
The accused persons, Solomon Apenteng, 21 year old Labourer and Gideon Appiah Kwakye pleaded guilty to two counts and they were considered by the court to Serve 15 years each for the two counts because they did not waste the court time during proceedings, both sentence will run concurrently, meaning each will serve 15 years imprisonment.
The accused persons and one Yaw Kyei, Alias Nana Yaw, Kwaku and Kyei all now at large, on the 25th day of April, 2023 at Kwae in the Eastern Circuit and within the jurisdiction of the court, did act together with comnmon purpose to comenit
crime to wit; Robbery.
In addition,the accused persons and one Yaw kyei, Ala, Nana Yaw, Kwaku and Kyei all now at large on the 25th day of April, 2023 about 9:30am at GOPDC palm plantation, Kwae in the Eastern Circuit and within the jurisdiction of the court, did steal twenty (20) bags of Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertilizers value GH¢8,000.00 and four (4) wheel barrows value GH¢2 448 00 all to a total value of GH¢10,448 00 from one Bismark Ofori of GOPDC and for the purpose of stealing the said fertilzers and wheel barrows used threat of harm by putting a metal chain around the neck of the said Bismark Ofori witlh intent to overcome the resistance of Bismak Ofori to the stealing of the fertilizers and wheel barrows.
Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Isaac Owusu Achiaw said the complainant is a security supervisor with the Ghana Oil Palm Development
Company Limited (GOPDC) Kwae Estate.
He said accused persons, Solomon Appenteng is a labourer whiles Gideon Appiah Kwakye is motor rider and both resides at Kwae.
On 25/04/2023 at about 8:00am some irate youth of Kwae including the accused persons and their accomplices went on rampage because the company was digging trenches around the boundaries of their
plantation to prevent rampant stealing of their palm fruits.
On same day 25/04/2023 at about 9:30am some workers of the company led by Bismark Ofori were assigned by the company to transport 117 bags of Muriate of Potash (MoP) fertilizers and nine wheel barrows in a Kia truck driven by one Rahim Karim into the plantation for application,and on reaching a section of the road, in the farm of one Abrantie, the truck got stacked in a mud.
The first accused came to meet them at the said
spot with his tricycle and cautioned them to run away from the place and leave the vehicle and
its bontent behind because some tugs were coming to attack them.
Some of the workers out of fear left but Bismark Ofori and the driver defiled the threat and remained there.
Not quite long, Solomon Appenteng re-surfaced with six persons on board his tricycle including Appiah Kwakye armed with offensive weapons including cutlasses, axes and chains.
Upon their arrival, they forcibly seized Bismark Ofori’s mobile phones and placed a chain around his neck and subjected them to threats and intimidations and started loading the fertilizers into their tricycle.
Bismark Ofori and the driver could not repel the aggressions of the accused persons and their accomplices.
The two accused
persons and their accomplices through their threats and intimidations succeeded to steal twenty (20) bags of the fertilizers value GHC 8,000.00 and four (4) wheel barrows value GHC2,448.00 and bolted with it.
The matter was reported to police for investigations, after the
incident all the culprits vacated from the town but on 25/07/2023 Solomon was arrested at his hide out at Abirem- Ntronang and upon interrogation he mentioned Apenteng and five others as his
accomplices.
On 08/08/2023 A2 was spotted at Kwae lorry station and was also arrested and handed over to police for investigations.
After closed of investigation both accused persons
were charged with the offences as stated on the charge sheet to appear before court for trial.
Source:Mybrytfmonline/ Mensah Atakora
