CONVICTED ROBBERS CURSE PROSECUTOR (MIRROR, PAGE 34)

From George Ernest Asare Kumasi,

There was drama at the Kumasi High Court 7, located behind the Prempeh Assembly Hall, last Tuesday, August 26, when two out of three armed robbers convicted to serve 24-year jail term each immediately charged at the Assistant Principal State Attorney, Mr Emmanuel Otoo-Boison, who prosecuted their case, and attempted to lynch him.
Moments after their conviction, Kwasi Bonsu, alias Oyibo, and Isaac Siaw surged forward and attempted to vent their spleen on the prosecutor, amid cursing and the invocation of the spirits of almost all the river gods in the Ashanti Region to deal ruthlessly with Mr Otoo-Boison whom they accused of being the principal architect of their long prison term.
In court, the convicts put up an uncouth behaviour, and in the course of his summary, Mr Otoo-Boison pleaded with the Judge, Mr K.A. Pobii, to take their negative attitude into consideration and offer them the appropriate punishment to deter others.
Moments later, the three — Kwasi Bonsu, Osei Bonsu and Isaac Siaw — who were standing trial for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbing two residents at New Tafo at gun and knifepoints and pleaded not guilty to the charges, were found guilty and convicted to serve 24-year jail term each.
Just after their conviction, Kwasi Bonsu and Isaac Siaw surged forward and made fruitless attempt to attack the prosecutor, but the timely intervention by the security officers who handcuffed them prevented the convicts from achieving their aim.
However, they succeeded in cursing him and threatened to use all the arsenals in their disposal to kill him even while they were in prison.
The action of the convicts attracted a large number of people into the courtyard, and the security officers had to fire sporadic shots to pave the way for them to whisk the convicts to begin their jail term.
Earlier, the prosecutor had told the court that around 8pm on March 6, 2004, the convicts, together with two others at large, attacked two residents at New Tafo with knives, and guns and succeeded in robbing them of a total of GH¢350.00.
Explaining, the prosecutor said the complainants went to a drinking spot at New Tafo and on their way, they saw Kwasi Bonsu, Osei Bonsu, Isaac Siaw, Yaw Frimpong, now at large, and Moro, also at large, gambling in front of the drinking spot.
He said when the complainants were leaving the drinking spot, they saw the same people gambling, and without any provocation the convicts, together with those at large, pounced on them, and pounded them with their fists and legs until the complainants fell down.
He said in the course of the attack, the convicts threatened to cut their victims into pieces with the knives they were holding and also blast their heads with the guns they were wielding, if the victims made any noise.
Mr Otoo-Boison said the convicts succeeded in robbing their victims of a total of GH¢359.00 and immediately fled the scene, leaving their victims who had sustained various degrees of injury and bleeding profusely from their nostrils and mouth to their fate.
Mr Otoo-Boison said the victims later reported their ordeal to the police who initiated investigations into the case.
According to the prosecutor, the police succeeded in arresting Kwasi Bonsu and Osei Bonsu in their hideout on March 19, 2004 and a few days later, Isaac Siaw was also arrested to assist the police in their investigations . When they were arrested, they denied attacking the victims and robbing them of any money, but investigations proved otherwise.