The Accra Circuit Court “One” has sentenced two friends to 30 years in prison for robbing a shop attendant at Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region.
The convicts, Lester Mensah and Orton Kwateng, threatened to kill Ms. Veronica Asumah Yeboah with a locally manufactured pistol and robbed her of 100 assorted cosmetics, valued at GH¢ 2,535.00, in December 28, 2015, at about 7am.
They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, robbery and possessing firearm without authority.
Passing sentence, the presiding judge of the court, Mr. Aboagye Tandoh, said that, the prosecution had adduced overwhelming evidence to establish the guilt of Lester Mensah and Orton Kwateng.
He said that the court took into consideration their plea for clemency, and jailed them 15 years each in hard labour, to serve as a deterrent.
Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, prosecuting, said that the complainant (Veronica Yeboah) was a shop attendant at “Afrah Cosmetics shop” at Kwabenya, and lived at Pokuase, while the convicts, who were friends lived at Tema, all in the Greater Accra Region.
He said that in December 28, 2015, the victim opened her shop and Richard Opoku Asamoah, also known as Kooko, one of the robbers on the run, approached her to buy Asumah Shower Gel.
The court heard that in the course of attending to Asamoah, Lester and Orton entered the shop and Lester pointed a locally made pistol at her and threatened to kill if she shouted.
Chief Supt. Tuaraka said that Orton also attacked the complainant, sealed her mouth with cello tape, and tied her two hands.
They gang packed the cosmetics into two polythene bags, stopped a taxi with registration number Gw8845-15 boarded it and sped off towards Tema.
Chief Supt.Tuaruka said on the way, Richard Opoku (on the run) realised that he had left his bag containing his passport, unlicensed locally made pistol cartridges at the cosmetics shop.
Opoku alighted from the taxi and told the convict to wait for him at the Tetteh Quashie Roundabout, Accra, so that he could go to the shop and take the items.
Chief Supt Tuaruka said another taxi driver went to the rescue of the victim, wrote the registration number of vehicles used by the robbers and reported the case to the Atomic Police.
He said the police arrested the suspects and Lester threw the pistol he was holding into a nearby bush, but the police retrieved it.
Chief Supt. Tuaruka said the convicts admitted the offence in their caution statement.
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