MAN, NEPHEW JAILED 80 YEARS (MIRROR, PAGE 27, MAY 8, 2010)

From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.

For allegedly conspiring with his nephew to physically assault a taxi driver before snatching his taxi at gun point, Charles Amponsem, alias Dada, 27, and his uncle, Osei Yaw, alias Yaw Broni, were jailed for 40 years each by a Kumasi Circuit Court last Wednesday.
The duo, who claimed to be commercial drivers, pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to rob and robbing at gun point when they appeared before the court, presided over by Mr Amo Yartey.
Prosecuting, a State Attorney, Mr Emmanuel Lawrence Otoo-Boison, said the convicts attacked the taxi driver at gun point, robbing him of an amount of GH¢68 being his day’s sales, and a cell phone, before snatching the taxi from him.
The prosecutor said they took the taxi to Abodwese near Tepa, re-sprayed it and fixed a new number plate and changed the owner’s address into their’s.
Mr Otoo-Boison said the two lured the driver into a secluded place at Ayeduase, a Kumasi suburb before assaulting him with hefty slaps and eventually snatching his taxi, threatening to blow off his head with a locally manufactured pistol if he resisted, or made the least noise to attract attention.
He explained that around 11 p.m on March 17, 2010, the complainant was stopped by Amponsem who directed the driver to take him to Kotei.
Mr Otoo-Boison said on reaching a section at Ayeduase, Amponsem asked the driver to take a rough road, explaining it lead to his house.
According to the state attorney, when the taxi moved to a distance on the rough road, Amponsem asked the driver to stop, and as soon as the car came to a halt, Osei who had laid ambush, emerged from his hideout, wielding a loaded locally manufactured pistol.
He said without any provocation, Osei slapped the driver and pulled him out from the car and ordered him to surrender his mobile phone and money.
He said out of fear, the complainant released his cell phone and the day’s sales to Amponsem and Osei, who sped off, leaving the complainant stranded.
Mr Otoo-Boison said the complainant reported the incident to the police who started investigations, which led to their arrest at Manfo.
He said during a search, another number plate was found in the car but the police could not trace the original number plate.