Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Source: GNA

Driver jailed 25 years for car snatching

Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - Emmanuel Benson, a driver who robbed a colleague of his taxi cab at gun point after chopping off his right ear at Kasoa, was on Tuesday sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Benson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, robbery, causing harm and was convicted on his own plea.

His accomplice, Kwesi Owusu, a 32-year-old second hand clothes dealer, pleaded not guilty and was remanded into police custody. Owusu would re-appear before the court presided over by Mr Eric Kyei-Baffour on September 19. The prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Johnson K. Anim, told the court

that on August 31, at about 1200 hours, the Greater Accra Regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Operational team received information that a Toyota Corolla with registration number GW 3159-11 had been snatched from the owner at gun point.

The Police were therefore ordered to be vigilant and arrest occupants of the vehicle.

Chief Inspector Anim said an informant called the Police that he had spotted the vehicle at Accra Newtown and a team of Policemen went to the area arrested the occupants.

The prosecutor said during interrogation the occupants, Benson and Owusu, were arrested while the complainant Mr Kofi Adams was invited to identify the vehicle valued at GHc11,000.