A Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced Kwasi Appiah, a 24 year-old taxi driver to 60 years imprisonment in hard labour for conspiring with four persons to rob a Ghanaian and two Chinese nationals of three mobile phones valued at GH¢ 1,500.00, an amount of GH¢ 4,800.00 and sand concentrate containing gold.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

Passing sentence, the Judge, Mr Justice Obeng Asante said he imposed the heavy sentence on Appiah because of recent attacks on expatriate investors, which was a disgrace to the country.

He said people like the convict need to be kept away from the public for a longer period because their conduct was destroying the Ghanaian business industry.

Mr Justice Asante also issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Frimpong, Kwabena Bako, Yaw Esre and Rastee, who participated in the robbery with Appiah, but fled after carrying out the operation.   

Prosecuting, Police Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court that the convict is a driver based at Denkyirah Nkotimso, near Dunkwa-Offinso and the complainant, William Diabah, is a small scale miner residing at Wasa Akropong but owned a mining site at Wasa Powuako.

The Prosecutor said around 1600 hours on January 7, this year, Appiah and his accomplices armed themselves with a locally manufactured single barrel shot gun and cutlass and laid ambush on the route leading to the complainant's mining site.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said around 1800 hours on that same day, the complainant and two Chinese nationals were on board a tricycle motorbike heading towards Powuako with the sand concentrate containing gold.

He said while they were ascending a hill, Appiah together with Frimpong, Kwabena Bako, Yaw Esre and Rastee emerged from the bush and pointed a gun at the complainant and ordered him to surrender everything on them.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said Appiah and his accomplices in the process succeeded in taking the three mobile phones, cash sum of GH¢ 4,800.00 Ghana cedis and the sand concentrate containing the gold.

He said after the act, the four accomplices managed to run away with the booty and the convict kept the complainant hostage with the gun.

The Prosecutor said the complainant managed to overpower Appiah and sent him to the Wasa Akropong police station, together with the gun he had in his possession.

When the police visited the crime scene, Chief Inspector Amponsah said, one BBB cartridge shell which the offender fired earlier on during the robbery was retrieved.

He said during investigation the convict mentioned the names of his accomplices and claimed they lured him to take part in the robbery.