Tamale, July 27, GNA - Ziblim Fuseini, a 26-year-old farmer, who inflicted cutlass wounds on his victim and robbed him of two million cedis has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Tamale High Court. In addition, Fuseini, who was charged for causing unlawful harm and robbery, would serve another one-year jail term for escaping from lawful custody at the Karaga Police Station in the Karaga District of the Northern Region in May 2001.

The seven-member jury found the accused guilty on the charges preferred against him.

Prosecutor, Mr. Komla Agbeko-Kra a State Attorney told the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Victor Doegah that Fuseini was a friend to the complainant, Ziblim Abudulai, a groundnut seller at the Karaga Market.

He said on May 25, 2001, Fuseini who was riding a bicycle, met the complainant and told him that he had some groundnuts for sale and the complainant expressed interest to buy them. The accused therefore offered to carry the complainant on his bicycle to the village where the groundnuts were.

On their way, the accused feigned tiredness and requested the complainant to take over riding the bike, while he sat behind him. The complainant obliged and took over the bicycle. After they had gone some distance, the accused drew a cutlass he had hidden on him and inflicted several cuts on the complainant, after which he tried to strangle him and in the process, the victim fell unconscious.

Immediately the accused saw his victim in that state, he searched him and found two million cedis, which he took away, leaving him to his fate.

A passer-by however, found him and carried him on his bicycle to the Karaga Hospital from where the victim was referred to the Tamale Regional Hospital.

The accused was later arrested and placed in police custody but he managed to escape and fled to Bawku in the Upper East Region where he committed another offence, for which he was jailed for four years.

While the accused was serving his sentence, the police had information about his incarceration so they requested for his transfer to Tamale to stand trial for causing unlawful harm and robbery, the prosecution told the court.