From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.
A Kumasi-based taxi driver who decided to celebrate the 2006 Christmas festivities in grand style at the expense of his female passengers is now in hot waters.
George Asaah, the driver, has now been sentenced to serve a 21-year jail term with hard labour.
The Kumasi High Court, presided over by Justice K.A. Pobih, found him guilty for indecently assaulting some of his female passengers during the 2006 Christmas festivities and robbing others of their cash and valuables at gun and knife-points.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges , but after more than a year’s trial, the court found him guilty of the offences and therefore jailed him.
In two separate incidents on December 27, 2006, Asaah, driving a taxi with registration number GT7635V, did not only force a female student who had boarded the taxi late on that eventual evening to undress while in the taxi, but also inserted his fingers into her private parts several times to satisfy his sexual desires before robbing her of her cash, mobile phone and a camera.
The convict, desirous to make the best out of the festivities, and with the aid of some accomplices, also attacked another female passenger at gunpoint and succeeded in robbing her of cash, mobile phone and other valuables. They pushed her out of the car and sped off.
The two victims made separate reports to the police and investigations led to the arrest of the convict, who denied vehemently that he had ever met the victims.
However, police investigations proved otherwise, and after his trial he was found guilty and therefore sentenced to serve 15 years in jail in the first case and another 21 years in the second case.
Both sentences are, however, to run concurrently. Earlier, the Principal State Attorney, Mr Richmond Osei Hwere, had told the court that the complainants, Sarah Boaduwaa, a trader, and Diana Mensah, a student, were the victims, while the convict was a taxi driver by profession.
Mr Osei Hwere said around 9pm on December 2006, Sarah Boaduwaah boarded the Opel Astra taxi with the convict in charge at Ashtown and directed the driver to take her to Abrepo Junction.
He said on reaching a spot near the St. Louis Training College, the passengers on board the taxi, together with the driver, attacked the lady and threatened her with a locally manufactured pistol and therefore succeeded in robbing her of a Sagem mobile phone valued GH¢60.00 and a handbag containing GH¢250.00, forced her out of the taxi and sped off.
According to the prosecutor a few days later, the convict used the same tricks to assault a student sexually and also robbed her of cash, a camera and other valuables.
Explaining ,the prosecutor said the convict picked the second victim from Ashtown towards Oforikrom, but he diverted the route to former Boakye Dankwah Hospital at Dichemso and at gunpoint collected her Vivi digital camera valued at GH¢120, Royale body spray valued at GH¢30.00 and GH¢25.00 cash.
The prosecutor said not satisfied with the booty, the convict, with the support of a female friend wielding a sharp knife , also ordered the victim to undress and after doing so, he inserted his fingers into her private part several times to satisfy his sexual desires before pushing her out of the car and sped off.
Mr Osei Hwere said the complainants, after making separate reports to the police , also identified their attacker when he was arrested on April 3, 2007.
Explaining, he said the police first arrested a driver in charge of the Opel Astra taxi which was used for the operation and the driver also led the police to arrest the convict as the one who was in charge of the vehicle on December 27, 2006.
The prosecutor said the convict admitted being the one in charge of the vehicle on that day, but vehemently denied attacking the complainants and robbing them of cash and other valuables and also indecently assaulting one of them.
He said investigations, however, proved otherwise, so he was charged with the offences.
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