Accra, Jan. 14, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced two armed robbers to 24 years imprisonment with hard labour, while a third accused person was acquitted and discharged. The convicts, Kofi Nyanor, alias Michael, a driver, and Adam Ibrahim, a footballer, were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each on their own plea for conspiracy to rob and robbery. Jones Kumah, alias Allan Cash, jointly charged with the accused person= s for dishonestly receiving was acquitted and discharged.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kofi Blagodzi, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr E. Kyei=96Baffour, that on the morning of March 2= 1, last year, the accused persons conspired to steal a Kia Pride taxi valued a= t GH¢6000, and mobile phones valued at GH¢135 from one Eric Kwabena Nyark= o, the complainant, at Lapaz an Accra suburb.

He said the complainant was driving the vehicle when the accused persons stopped him at Osu and asked him to send them to Lapaz, but before then he should send them to their house at Tabora. The prosecution said on their way, Kofi who was on the front seat told the complainant to stop the car. He obliged and no sooner had he stopped than Ibrahim who was seated at the back held his neck from behind and asked him to hand over the car keys to him (Ibrahim). He said immediately, Kofi switched off the ignition, removed the mobil= e phones from the complainant's pocket and helped Ibrahim to push him off f= rom the car and the two sped away with it.

DSP Blagodzi said the accused persons drove the car to Kumasi and gave it to Kumah who had earlier received two cars from them. He said Kumah knowing that the car had been stolen removed the number plates and sprayed it as a private car to hide its identity. The prosecution said, on April 14, last year, the accused persons were arrested in Accra whilst attempting to snatch another car, and during interrogation, confessed to robbing the complainant of his car. Kofi led the police to Kumasi where Kumah was also arrested. He said the vehicle was retrieved from Kumah and after investigations the accused persons were charged with the offence.