A 35-year old barber has been sentenced to 10-years imprisonment in hard labour after he pleaded guilty to two counts of threat of death and robbery.

James Awuni pleaded guilty to the charges contrary to Section 75 and 149(1) of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960, Act 29 respectively.

An accomplice,  Kwame Copper is  currently at large.

Awuni on August  6, 2023 called the wife of the Chief Executive of Obuasi Bitters with a Vodafone number 0500637074, alleging that he had been contracted by someone to kill her husband.

The worried woman informed the husband who also called the same number for confirmation.

Awuni told the complainant he was reluctant to execute the order for reasons best known to him and further demanded that the complainant pay him an amount of GHS1,200, a request Mr. Amoh honoured.

The complainant, after sending the money, reported the issue to the Police Intelligence Directorate for investigations. Acting on intelligence, the directorate  arrested Awuni on September 27, 2023 at his hideout at Bebu near Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

Prosecuting, ASP Stephen Ofori told Her Honour Vida Yeboah in court on Friday  October 6, 2023 that Awuni mentioned Kwame Copper as an  accomplice.

Awuni pleaded guilty to threat of death and robbery and promised to refund the money the complainant paid him when he appeared before the court on Monday 2nd October, 2023.

He refunded an amount of GH1,200 on Friday before being slapped with the 10-year jail term. He was jailed 2-months for threat of death and 10-years for robbery respectively but the two are to run concurrently.

Presiding Judge, Her Honour Vida Yeboah said the  court considered the fact that the accused refunded the money involved before handing him the minimum jail sentence for robbery.