The Asante Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced two soldiers to ten years of hard labor imprisonment each for kidnapping and robbing a small-scale miner of GHC96,500.00.
Lance Corporal Alfred Mensah, 33, and Lance Corporal Matthew Amoako, 28, both from the Air Force, have denied allegations of conspiring to rob and kidnap Mr. Andrews Asante.
They underwent a complete trial and were found guilty.
Meanwhile, three accomplices remain at large—identified only as Frimpong and Francis, both soldiers and Francis Acheampong, 41, a driver.
Detective Chief Inspector Eric Twum testified before the Court, overseen by Mr. Isaac Appeatu, stating that Mr. Asante, the complainant, is a small-scale miner living in Ametubuom, a suburb of Asiwa. Mensah and Amoako are Air Force officers stationed in Accra and Tamale, respectively, but both attended a course in Accra.
The driver, Acheampong, was employed by a car rental company in Accra, while Frimpong and Francis, both military personnel stationed in Kumasi, remained at large.
The prosecution claimed that on November 25, 2023, Acheampong, knowing about the soldiers’ robbery plan, directed them to his company’s secretary.
He informed him that Mensah, Amoako, and Frimpong planned to arrest Konongo. To facilitate this, they rented a Mitsubishi Pajero with the registration number GS 3236-17, which Acheampong was assigned to drive.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum stated that they departed from Accra around 2:00 PM. Upon arriving in Konongo, they picked up Francis, noting they were dressed in military uniforms.
The Court was informed that Frimpong, alleging from Asiwa, guided them to Ametubuom, a nearby community. They reached the complainant’s home at approximately 1:30 a.m. They loudly called his name, pounded on his gate, and demanded he come outside.
Fearing for his life, he remained inside until the gang targeted his friend Kwabena, whom his wife had called for help.
According to the police, the convicts directed their fury towards the complainant once he emerged, forcefully pushing him back into his room. There, they assaulted him and demanded GHC400,000.00 for his release.
He mentioned that the complainant, fearing for his life and his family’s safety, borrowed GHC10,000 from his mother-in-law, who resided in the same house and handed it over to them.
Dissatisfied, the gang persisted in assaulting the complainant, demanding more money. He pleaded with his mother-in-law for additional funds. She complied, bringing out an extra GHC20,000.00 wrapped in a black polythene bag and handing it to the robbers.
The prosecution stated that Amoako shoved the mother-in-law into her room once the gang discovered additional money hidden there. They searched the room and seized GHC40,000.00. Subsequently, they entered the complainant’s room, conducted a search, and took GHC15,000.00.
The court was informed that they seized GHC7,000.00 from Kwabena and the ignition key to the motorbike he arrived on to prevent him from pursuing them.
Unsatisfied with the money they had already stolen, they forcefully pushed the complainant into their vehicle and held him for ransom.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum reported that as the complainant sat in their vehicle, Mensah searched him and took GHC4,500.00 from his pocket, declaring they had a total haul of GHC96,500.00. The police were alerted to the incident and signaled for them to stop, but they disregarded this and sped away.
He stated that the police fired at the vehicle, but despite this, it continued until reaching a broken bridge at Anwiam. Unable to cross, they abandoned the car and proceeded on foot into the forest, still holding the complainant captive, he recounted.
The prosecution stated that some residents from nearby communities became aware of the incident and began searching for the gang. While the gang was in the woods with their captive and stolen goods, they were also attempting to escape.
At about 0430 hours, Mensah and Amoako appeared at Anumso Town, looking for a getaway vehicle. However, they were arrested by the town folks and later handed over to the Police.
Frimpong and Francis waited for Mensah and Amoako. When they did not return, they left the complainant behind and escaped into the forest.
The prosecution stated that the two individuals were subsequently apprehended, confessed to the crimes, and identified their accomplices.
Source: GNA
