A Sekondi Circuit Court presided over by Judge Michael Ampadu has convicted two individuals for their involvement in a daylight armed robbery that occurred in Takoradi. According to a GhanaWeb report and local police records, the convicts identified as Joanis Abaidoo and Daniel Larbi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison with hard labour after the prosecution proved cases of conspiracy and robbery against them.
The Western Regional Police Command stated that the incident took place in the Takoradi central business district where the convicts targeted a mobile money vendor and a customer. Court proceedings detailed that the men used a firearm to threaten victims before fleeing with a significant sum of cash and mobile handsets. GhanaWeb reported that the swift response of bystanders and law enforcement led to the tracking and eventual arrest of the suspects within the Western Region.
The presiding judge noted that the severe sentence serves as a deterrent to others planning similar crimes in the region. According to court records cited by state media, the prosecution presented physical evidence including weapons and recovered stolen currency that linked the convicts to the crime scene. The defense counsel had requested leniency but the court upheld the necessity of a stiff penalty due to the violent nature of the act.
Official police statements indicate that the convicts will serve their terms concurrently for the counts of conspiracy and robbery. The Ghana Police Service maintained that increased surveillance in Takoradi has been implemented following several reports of attacks on mobile money agents. This conviction marks one of the most significant sentences handed down by the Sekondi Circuit Court this year according to judicial reports.