SERIAL ROBBER JAILED 30 YEARS (PAGE 20, MIRROR, AUGUST 28, 2010)

From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

THE penchant of a 24-year-old man to rob students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), of their cash and other valuables, received a jolt when he was finally arrested and convicted to serve a 30-year jail term with hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
The convict, Isaac Kofi Tawiah, who together with an accomplice identified only as Ben, pounced on a female student at the KNUST around 7:30 p.m. on April 5, 2010, and robbed her of an amount of GH¢120.00, was arrested barely a week later after they had committed the crime.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery, but after four months trial, the court found him guilty of the charges and convicted him accordingly.
The student had gone to the KNUST branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank around 7:30 p.m. to withdraw cash with her ATM card, but moments after she had withdrawn the money, the convict and his accomplice who had laid ambush attacked her with a sharp knife, and succeeded in robbing her of the money, purse containing her Mobile phone and student identity card.
They also took away the ATM card before escaping with their booty.
Tawiah, who claimed to be a dealer in second hand clothing at the Central Business District in Kumasi, was arrested around 6:30 p.m. at the KNUST lorry station on April 12, 2010, when he attempted to board a mini bus.
Unknown to him, his victim had spotted him at the lorry station, and therefore raised alarm, causing sympathisers to arrest him and later handed him over to the police.
Following the arrest, Tawiah admitted attacking the student and depriving her of the money, Mobile phone, identity and ATM card s.
He led the police to Amakom, a Kumasi suburb, where the mobile phone was retrieved, but failed to produce the other items.
He also led police to the abode of his accomplice, Ben, but the fugitive had by then vacated from the premises. Police are therefore hunting for him to assist in their investigations.
Giving the facts before the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amoo-Yartety, a State Attorney, Mr Emmanuel Lawrence –Otoo-Boison, said the complainant, who is a student at the KNUST, had gone to the university branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank on April 5, 2010, to withdraw cash with her ATM card when the convict and his accomplice attacked her with a sharp knife.
He said the complainant who was traumatised by the agony she went through, managed to report her ordeal to the security personnel at the KNUST, but a search mounted for their arrest proved futile.
Mr Otoo-Boison said around 6:30 p.m. on April 12, 2010, whilst the victim was alighting from a vehicle at the KNUST lorry station, she spotted her attacker at the station, and therefore raised alarm, causing sympathisers around the area to arrest Tawiah and hand him over to the police to assist in their investigations.