COUPLE ENGAGE IN ARMED ROBBERY (PAGE 19, MIRROR, AUGUST 28, 2010)

From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.

THE dream of a couple, Amaglo Cudjoe, 25 and Nana Yaa, 23, to use foul means to make money to supplement their farming income backfired as passengers in a Nissan Urvan mini bus who saw the couple attacking a taxi driver with a knife and hammer to deprive him of his vehicle and money quickly arrested the man .
The taxi driver, who was identified as Yaw Sarpong, suffered multiple injuries when he was persistently stabbed and hit with the knife and hammer by the couple.
He died on the spot moments after the passengers came to his rescue, but not until Cudjoe was arrested.
His wife, Nana Yaa however, managed to escape into the bush, and had since been at large.
Cudjoe, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery when he appeared before a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amoo-Yartey. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but confessed his crime in the course of the trial, explaining how his wife put intense pressure on him to indulge in armed robbery to supplement their meagre income from farming.
He also admitted to the prosecuting witnesses claims about their attack on the taxi driver after they had hired him from Ejisu Zongo under the guise of conveying goats from Onwe to Ejisu for sale.
After a trial which lasted for eight months, he was found guilty of the charges and convicted to serve 80 year jail term with hard labour.
Giving the facts before the court, Ms. R.D. Anita Wasse, a State Attorney, said both Cudjoe and Yaa live at Asotwe, while the taxi driver, was residing at Abonkro, near Ejisu.
She said Yaa had always been complaining about their meagre income and therefore put pressure on Cudjoe for them to indulge in armed robbery to enable them generate additional income to enhance their self esteem.
She said with the intense pressure, Cudjoe finally bowed to the wife’s idea for them to indulge in armed robbery, so on December 18, 2009, the couple went to Ejisu and hired the services of the deceased under the guise of conveying goats from Onwe to Ejisu for sale.
Ms Wasse said the deceased charged them a fare of GH¢60 and on reaching Donaso, near ‘Nyame ye Obolo’ prayer camp junction, Yaa asked the deceased to stop for her to attend to call of nature.
She said as soon as the deceased stopped Cudjoe attacked the deceased with a knife and a hammer and succeeded in robbing him of GH¢20.00
She said in the course of the attack, the deceased suffered from multiple injuries at the thigh and chest and therefore bled profusely, leading to his death on the spot.
She said fortunately, some passengers in a Nissan Urvan bus were attracted to the scene, and went to the aid of the deceased, but they were too late.
She said they however, managed to arrest Cudjoe and handed him over to the police, but were unable to arrest Yaa who had by then escaped into a nearby bush.