The Tema Circuit Court presided over by Judge Benedicta Antwi has sentenced twenty-five-year-old Ishmael Amponsah to twenty years in hard labor for his involvement in a violent robbery. According to a Citi Newsroom report the convict was charged with robbery and possessing a weapon without lawful excuse. The court found that Amponsah attacked a female trader while she was returning from work late at night.
Police prosecutors stated that the incident occurred near the Tema Community One market area where the convict ambushed the victim. A GhanaWeb report indicates that Amponsah held a knife to the throat of the woman and demanded her valuables. The prosecution presented evidence showing that the convict successfully made away with a handbag containing three hundred Ghana Cedis and a Samsung mobile device.
The victim raised an alarm shortly after the incident which led to the pursuit of the suspect by bystanders and local security personnel. A Ghana Police Service statement corroborated that the stolen items were recovered from Amponsah at the time of his arrest. During the trial the convict initially pleaded not guilty but the prosecution provided witness testimonies that linked him directly to the scene of the crime.
In her final judgment Judge Benedicta Antwi noted that the severity of the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent to others. The judge emphasized that violent crimes involving lethal weapons pose a significant threat to the safety of residents in Tema. The Citi Newsroom report confirmed that Amponsah will serve his full twenty-year term at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.