The Kumasi Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Justice Mawusi S. Kanawu sentenced twenty four year old suspect Kwabena Adu to fifteen years in hard labor for his involvement in a daylight robbery. According to a Daily Graphic report the convict was found guilty of robbing a local trader of her personal effects and mobile phone at knifepoint in the heart of Kumasi.
Police prosecutors presented evidence during the trial suggesting that Adu accosted the victim and threatened her with a sharp object before fleeing with her possessions. A GhanaWeb report indicates that the quick intervention of members of the public led to the pursuit and eventual arrest of the convict as he attempted to escape through a crowded area of the city.
The Ghana Police Service confirmed that officers took custody of the suspect from the group of bystanders and recovered the stolen items at the scene. During the court proceedings the prosecution emphasized the brazen nature of the crime which occurred in a public space during daylight hours and requested a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to others as reported by the Ghana News Agency.
Justice Kanawu in his final judgment noted that the court considered the severity of the offense and the use of a weapon. The court records indicate that the convict was charged with robbery under the Criminal Offences Act. Sources from the Kumasi Circuit Court confirmed that the fifteen year sentence commenced immediately following the verdict delivered on the final day of the hearing.