The circuit court at Tarkwa has sentenced a 48-year-old bicycle repairer, Musah Kusasi, to 15 years imprisonment for robbery and possessing locally manufactured pistol without lawful authority.

The convict pleaded guilty, and Alhassan Yakuba, his accomplice, was acquitted and discharged.

Chief Inspector Edward Paddy told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that on March 15, 2010, at about 0400 hours, the complainant, Amevor Delali, was traveling with his daughter, on a motor bike from Kyekyeada to Dadieso in the Western.

The court heard that on reaching a section of the road near Nyamekelgene junction, Kusasi and Yakubu ordered Delali to stop but he (victim) ignored them and sped away. Insp. Paddy said the convict shot the victim at the upper part of his abdomen with a locally manufactured pistol. The prosecution said Delali managed to ride to Kwabena Nateg check point, and reported the matter to the security officers there.

Insp. Paddy said security officials accompanied the victim to the scene but the convict and his accomplice had fled.

The prosecution said the victim later identified the convict on unregistered motor bike believed to have been stolen from the security check point.

Insp. Paddy said when Kusasi was arrested and a search was conducted on him, a locally manufactured pistol and two life cartridges were found concealed in a compartment of the motor bike, and a wrap of dried leaves, suspected to be Indian hemp in his possession.

The prosecution said when the weapon was sent for examination, it was found to have been fired, and the suspected dried leaves found to be cannabis.