Notorious robber jailed 39 years for terrorising Amanfro, Kasoa residents

A notorious robber who was arrested by the police for terrorising residents of Amanfro and Kasoa, has been sentenced to 39 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Accra Circuit Court.

The convict, Mark Keelson, alias Ablode, believed to be a driver’s mate, was convicted on his own plea.

According to the presiding judge, Mr Aboagye Tandoh, the court took into consideration the severity and the mode of operation of the accused person in committing the crimes.

Mr Tandoh said a long sentence would serve as a deterrent to others and also keep the accused person away from society.

The case is one out of a number of other robbery cases which the police are still investigating against the convict.

Facts

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Afful told the court that the complainants in the case were six families, including a police inspector, who were attacked in their homes separately at Galilea and Kalabule, all suburbs of Amanfro in the Ga West District on June 29, 2015.

He said between 12:40 and 2: 30a.m. on that day, six armed men forcibly broke into the rooms of the victims and subjected them to severe beatings amidst the firing of gunshots.

The court heard that they made away with various items including mobile phones, laptops, jewellery and huge sums of money.

In the course of the robbery operation, Mr Afful said three women were raped and the incident was subsequently reported to the police.

Through intensive investigations by the police, he said, two members of the gang identified as Isaac Ken and David Ahortor were arrested on July 1, 2015 and July 3, 2015 respectively.

Members of the gang

The two gang members, he said, had in their possession a single barrel gun, a locally manufactured pistol, 60 rounds of live cartridges, face masks and some items which were later identified by some of the victims.

On July 17, 2015, he said the two were put before court and sentenced to 35 years after they had pleaded guilty.

He told the court that a member of the gang was also lynched by a mob on the Obuom road at Kasoa while he was on a robbery expedition.

On January 21, 2016, he said the Kasoa Police arrested Keelson who had been on the radar of the police for some time from his hideout at Opetekiew and he admitted during interrogation that he was one of the robbers who had attacked residents around Kasoa.

He was said to have told the police that he was a member of a number of robbery gangs and was part of the gang which attacked the six families.