Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Source: GNA

Two Togolese robbers jailed 100 years

Two Togolese, Senyiome Grumah, 19, and Kwadwo Grumah, 32, have been sentenced to 50 years imprisonment each by the Tarkwa circuit court for robbing a purchasing clerk of Produce Buying Company (PBC) “C” to the tune of 16,960 Ghana cedis at Kwasuo near Dadieso in the Western region.

They pleaded guilty.

Prosecuting Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that a month ago the convicts, who are farmers at Dapango and Sankase in the Republic of Togo, came to Kwasuo to work as casual labours and got to know the complainant’s place of abode in the same vicinity.

According to the Prosecutor, after spending some few weeks at Kwasuo, the convicts left for Sefwi Asawinso and returned to Kwasuo on January 3.

Inspector Amponsah said on that same day the complainant travelled to Dadieso to collect 16,960 cedis from his District Manager to purchase 80 bags of dried cocoa bean for the PBC.

He said while returning to his cottage at Kwasuo with the money in a bag at night the convicts attacked him, hit his neck with a hammer and took away the bag containing the money.

Inspector Amponsah said on January 4 citizens of Kwasuo, with the assistance of an officer of the Ghana Immigration Service, arrested the convicts from their hide out with 14,960 cedis handed them over to the police.

The judge said considering the rate at which some foreigners are abusing the Ghanaian hospitality; he decided to impose a custodial sentenced on the convicts to serve as deterrent to other foreigners.

He also ordered that the money found should be handed over to the complainant.