An Accra Circuit Court sentenced a driver to eight years in prison and hard labor for attempting to kidnap a father and daughter for ransom.
Godfred Ayittey denied conspiring with Wang Liang to kidnap the two for ransom, but after the trial, he was convicted.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye previously told the court, presided over by Mrs. Afia Owusua Appiah, that on August 3, 2022, Richard Asomaning, a witness in the case, reported to Tema Police that Ayittey had recruited him over the phone to engage in kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, Asomaning was also tasked with finding a suitable driver to assist them in carrying out such an operation for ransom.
The witness sent copies of his driver’s license, Ghana card, and the identification of a friend named Peter Ofoe Agbovie, whom DSP Nyamekye said he had just recruited for the convict, all while pretending to be interested in the act. The convict then told the court that the witnesses had asked for a meeting to find out who their victims or victims were.
According to the prosecution, the defendant identified the victims as Mr. Joseph K. Horgle, the proprietor of J. K. Horgle Transport and Company Limited in Kpone, and his daughter Elinam, who holds the position of Deputy Managing Director at the same business. Ayittey never met the witnesses in person; instead, he conversed with them over the phone.
DSP Nyamekye claims that witnesses were questioned at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in response to a request for help from Tema Police with an investigation.
It was found that the witnesses had contacted the prisoner through a WhatsApp group platform that he had created especially for the operation.
The prisoner Ayittey gave Asomaning fifty Ghana cedis (GH₵50.00) so that she could begin spying on either of the victims, according to what the court heard. The prisoner received the first set of photos taken at the company’s location.
According to DSP Nyamekye, the convict asked Agbovie to rent a vehicle while he obtained guns for the operation. The prosecution stated that the convict was located and arrested on August 9, 2022. He confessed to the crime and claimed that Wang, a Chinese coworker at DADA Foods, was behind the kidnapping.
Investigations revealed that the convict worked as a driver for the intended victim’s company from 2017 to 2018 and was aware that the former boss had the financial means to pay any ransom via cryptocurrency to Wang LIANG’s account in China to avoid detection.
He claimed that Asomaning had previously posted his contact information, including his phone number, on Jiji while looking for work as a driver.
The accused got the first witness’ phone number from a website and approached him about a job as a driver; when he agreed, the subject was changed to kidnapping.
DSP Nyamekye stated that Ayittey also directed Asomaning to use the same channel to recruit another person. Following the investigation, Ayittey was charged with the crime.
