Kwabena Asiedu, a 26-year-old junior high school dropout from the Ashanti area, was found guilty of robbery and given a 15-year jail sentence with hard labor by the Old Tafo Circuit Court.
In compliance with section 149 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act (Act 29) of 190, Judge Festus Fovi Nukunu imposed the sentence following Kwabena’s guilty plea to robbing a trader close to Boss FM in Kumasi.
Kwabena Asiedu made an easy guilty plea after the accusations were read to him in Twi. In the absence of counsel, it was imperative that the court ascertain Kwabena’s complete comprehension of the ramifications of his plea and its voluntary nature.
Judge Nukunu questioned Kwabena, who confirmed that he understood the guilty plea by saying, “It means I have committed the transgression.”
Kwabena told the judge that he entered his guilty plea voluntarily, free from threats or undue pressure.
“I was the one who did the wrong. “I entered a guilty plea on my own,” he told the judge.
The Prosecution claims that on March 27, 2024, at around 2:30 in the morning, Kwabena Asiedu, an unemployed person, robbed Sampson Baah close to Boss FM at Adum in Kumasi. GH¢3,300.00 was the value of the stolen goods, which also included a black Samsung A14 smartphone, GH¢165.00 for an Itel keypad smartphone, GH¢100.00 for a waist bag, GH¢100.00 for a purse, and GH¢1,000.00 in cash.
Three attackers accosted Sampson Baah near Boss FM in Adum when he was traveling to his shop at Adum Railway. Sampson first refused to part with his possessions, even in defiance of their requests. But as they continuously attacked and outmatched him, he grew weaker and eventually gave in, making it possible for the assailants to successfully plunder him.
On April 1, 2024, Kwabena was captured at his hiding place in Kejetia after the heist was reported to the Kumasi Central Police Station. Upon his arrest, he admitted to the crime. Despite naming Baba and Kaliensu, his collaborators, he did not assist authorities in finding them.
For now, both are evading capture. He was found in possession of the pilfered Samsung A14 smartphone on April 3.
Chief Inspector Christine Betteh, the prosecutor, characterized Kwabena and his cronies as raptors who prey on tourists and business visitors in the vicinity of Asafo’s expansive gutter.
He implored the judge to impose a severe penalty as a warning. In determining Kwabena’s sentence, the court took into account his quick guilty plea, which spared the state the expense and inconvenience of a full trial.
“The court must impose a deterrent sentence to deter his friends after taking into account all the mitigating factors, the manner in which these accused persons planned and carried out the crime, and the fact that they severely beat the complainant before robbing him of his belongings.”
still engaged in the theft of unsuspecting tourists, businesspeople, and ladies in Kumasi’s major business sector. Judge Nukunu declared, “I hereby sentence him to fifteen (15) years imprisonment with hard labor.”
