Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 2 September 2015

Source: GNA

Drama unfolds in Court

Drama unfolded at an Accra Circuit Court when Richard Kwakye, a footballer who was to open his defence in a robbery case decided to confess to the crime.

Kwakye, 19, told the court that he went to the complainant’s room and decided to attack her with a machete and rob her of her money and other items.

When the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh asked Kwakye whether he had concluded his evidence he replied in the affirmative.

Kwakye answering questions under cross-examination by Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kweku Bempah said he changed his plea because after a sober reflection he has decided to admit the offence.

Meanwhile the court has taken delivery of a report on Kwakye’s age assessment. This was because the Police contend that he had served 13 months jail term at Nsawam Medium Security Prison recently for stealing.

Kwakye who has no legal representation, had told the Police that he was 19 years hence the court ordered for his age to be assessed.

The court is expected to deliver its judgment on September 7.

Currently the court has remanded him into Police custody after pleading not guilty to attempting to commit crime to wit robbery.

Richard was said to have attempted to rob one Elliet Gyimah Mensah.

The facts of the case as presented by DSP Bempah are that the complainant, Elliet is a waitress and lives at Baatsona, Accra, while Richard is also a footballer also staying in the same vicinity.

He said on July 29, at about 0600 hours while the complainant was in her apartment preparing for work, Richard, with a sharp knife sneaked into the room of the complainant, attacked her and attempted to rob her of her money and other items.

DSP Bempah said in the course of the struggle, the complainant started screaming and this attracted neighbours around.

He said the accused person sensing danger attempted to escape from the scene but was chased, arrested and handed over to the Sakumono police.

He admitted the offence in the course of investigations.