Two jailed 30 years for robbing banker of vehicle, personal belongings

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced two persons to a total of 30 years’ imprisonment for robbing a banker of her vehicle at East Legon Christian Centre.

Peter Amuzu, also known as Master Pee, and Issac Brena Eshun aka Young, took away the banker’s money in various currencies and other cards.

Amuzu and Eshun earlier denied the charges of conspiracy and robbery.

When the matter was called, the accused persons, through their counsel, told the court they wanted to change their plea from not guilty to guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, retook their pleas.

The court convicted each of the accused persons on their pleas and sentenced them accordingly.

On the charge of conspiracy, each was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

On the charge of robbery, each received 15 years’ imprisonment. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

A third accomplice, Ibrahim Mohammed, will stand trial for charges of abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving.

Police say Mohammed bought a pistol for the two convicts to commit the crime and he received the complainant’s vehicle.

He has denied the offences.

Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, said the complainant (name withheld), was a banker residing at East Legon Christian Centre.

The first accused person, Amuzu, claimed to be a steel bender, was a resident of American House, East Legon, he said, while the second accused, Eshun, was a driver residing at Takoradi.

The third accused, Mohammed, aka King Dawa, was a businessman residing at Gururgu, Tamale.

Prosecution said in March 2024. Amuzu, while on remand in the police cell at Madina for another robbery offence, recruited Eshun, who was also in the cell, for an offence of stealing.

The court heard that they planned to embark on a robbery expedition when they got out.

On August 19, 2024, Amuzu and Eshun, armed with a pistol, attacked the complainant at the entrance of her residence at East Legon Christian Centre.

The prosecution said Amuzu ordered the complainant at gunpoint to come down from her vehicle, a Mercedes Benz C180, with registration number AA 1991-21, valued at 60,000 Euros, equivalent to GH¢1,045, 738.

The complainant obliged for fear of losing her life.

Eshun, the prosecution said, quickly took over the steering wheel, and they drove the car to an unknown destination. The complainant had her handbag containing a German passport, three iPhones, valued at GH¢44.629.43, a Ghana card, ATM cards, a health insurance card, $1500 cash, GH¢16,000 and an unspecified amount of Jamaican dollars.

Prosecution said the same day, Eshun took the car to Tamale on the instructions of Amuzu to sell it to Mohammed, who also agreed to buy it.

Mohammed made a cash transfer of GH¢10,000 to Eshun’s mobile money wallet No. 0550571605 as part payment.

Mohammed then removed the registered number plate from the car to conceal its identity.

On August 22, 2024, Eshun was arrested at Dansoman and a search conducted on him led to the retrieval of one gold-coloured iPhone 14promax. Samsung Galaxy A15, air pods, cash in the sum of GH¢18,000. $101 4000 Uganda shillings, 400 Rwanda franc, 550 Jamaican dollars and other personal effects of the complainant.

Eshun admitted the offence and mentioned Amuzu as his accomplice.

The prosecution said on August 23, 2024, Amuzu was arrested at American House, East Legon, where an iPhone 13 pro belonging to the complainant’s friend, Mansour Inusah, a witness in the case, was retrieved.

Amuzu admitted the offence and mentioned Mohammed as his old friend in Tamale, to whom he instructed Eshun to send the car.

On August 24, 2024, Mohammed was arrested in Tamale in possession of the complainant’s Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Fortuner 4X4 with registration Number GX 2735-19.

He told the police that he bought the Toyota Fortuner 4X4, also from Amuzu and his friend Kwame, in February 2024.

Investigations later revealed that the owner of the Toyota Fortuner 4X4 was shot and robbed by Amuzu and his accomplice, Kwame, in another robbery case at Lakeside Estate.

During the investigations, Mohammed admitted that he gave Amuzu an amount of GH¢7,000 to be used to procure a gun, which was used in the robbery, and four days later, he was offered the stolen Mercedes Benz at the cost of GH¢300.000, out of which he made the part payment of GH¢10,000.

The prosecution said on August 31, 2024, Eshun and Mohammed led the police to a location at Techiman where they had dumped the complainant’s personal effects.

The German passport, ATM Cards, Ghana Card and other documents belonging to the complainant were retrieved from the scene.

Efforts were being made to apprehend Kwame, who is said to own the weapon used in committing the crime.

source: citinewsroom.com