A group of eleven individuals, including two retired soldiers, has been sentenced to a total of 252 years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for robbing a gold buying company in Wassa Akropong, Western Region.
Among the group are Emmanuel Tetteh, also known as ‘Rocky Study’, a retired soldier now working as a private security officer, and Samuel Agbadoku, his unemployed colleague. The others include Isaac Adjei, a private security officer, Frank Afavi, a fetish priest, Yaw Adzevi, a kente weaver, and Anthony Ayivie Kwame Senyo, a driver, each receiving a 17-year sentence.
The remaining members, namely Pascal Korku Atatsitsey, Dodzi Awali, Dickson Kumedzro, and Ruben Kportufe, were handed 25-year sentences. Mohammed Buzu, an ex-convict, received the longest sentence of 50 years.
The robbery, which took place in 2018, involved the group stealing 7.5 kilograms of refined gold, valued at GH¢1,543,500, along with other items from the gold buying company. The convicts were caught on CCTV camera during the operation.
The court dismissed the convicts’ pleas for mercy, with Assistant Superintendent of Police Isaac Babayi advocating for harsh punishment as a deterrent to the public. The complainant, Mr Prince Dennis, and a security guard at the company, provided crucial information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
The convicts, hailing from various locations in the Greater Accra and Volta Regions, were traced and apprehended following a thorough investigation. Adoku, who remains at large, is being pursued for prosecution.
Overall, the sentence serves as a stern warning to criminals engaging in robbery activities, with the court emphasizing the need for strict enforcement of the law to maintain public safety.
