Fred Baba, alias Condom, a batik tie-and-dye dealer, who was arraigned for robbing four persons of 13 mobile phones and laptops at gunpoint with the help of three accomplices, was yesterday sentenced to 105 years for the offence.
The accused person was yesterday jailed by an Accra Circuit Court which found him guilty of the offence of conspiracy and three counts of robbery out of nine counts.
He was given 20 years for conspiracy and 35 years for each of the three counts. All of the counts are to run concurrently.
His accomplices in the robbery operation whose names are not known have gone underground after his arrest.
Baba who sounded adamant even when he was pronounced guilty told the trial judge, Francis Obiri, that he knew ?nothing of the offence for which he was charged? and failed to plead for mitigation of sentence.
The trial judge said the brief facts of the case for which the accused person was put before court are that the accused person with three others, who are currently at large went to the house of the victims of the robbery attack at Teshie-Nungua Estates on August 21, 2012.
According to him, the accused person and his friends used pump action guns and machetes and forcibly entered the room of the victims after they ordered them to hand over all their valuables to them.
He said the judge said one of the victims who is also the complainant challenged Baba and his accomplices and this infuriated them. They then took 13 mobile phones worth GH?1,500, six computers, among other items, and were about to leave when the victims managed to arrest one of them and immediately started beating him.
In addition, he said the suspect who was arrested called the accused person by name and pleaded with him to come to his rescue and shoot the victims. Baba returned with a pistol and threatened to shoot the victims if they did not let go of his accomplice.
He said the complainant and the rest of three took note of the face of Baba and let go of his friend after which they reported the matter to the police.
Mr Obiri noted that the accused person was later arrested by the police who conducted investigations into the matter and noted that the others managed to escape.
Giving reasons for his judgment, the trial judge said all the four victims who testified stated that they took note of the face of the accused person after he returned and threatened to shoot them if they did not let go of his accomplice.
Furthermore, he said the witnesses gave relevant and credible evidence and it all pointed to the fact that the accused person was part of those who robbed them of their computers, mobile phones, among others.
He said the accused person failed to call other witnesses but only denied the offence during his examination in-chief and said he was returning home when police arrested him for an offence he knew nothing about.
He said he could not ignore the relevant evidence of the victims as against that of the accused person who he said failed to create doubt as to his guilt and consequently jailed him.
source-Daily Guide
