An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a trader to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour for snatching an unregistered Toyota Camry valued at ₵72,000.00.

Abu Issah Safianu, alias Exodus, denied conspiring with Yaw Pepprah, now at large, to rob the car belonging to one George Anang.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Nyamekye told the court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful that Mr Anang, the complainant was a businessman based in Accra whiles Safianu, is a trader at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

The prosecution said Peprah and Ernest Kofi Sarkodie were friends. It said on August 25, 2020, the complainant sent his unregistered Toyota Camry 2013 model with chassis number 4T1BFIFKXCU576144 valued at ₵72,000.00 to Kwaku Twum a mechanic whose shop was located at Laterbiokorshie near Jay Quartey Plaza to put the car for sale.

The prosecution said the car had the complainant's telephone number displayed on it, adding that the complainant received calls from the telephone numbers of the convict and his accomplices feigning interest in buying the car.

It said during the conversation, Sarkodie told the complainant that he would later let his son Safianu come and have a look at the car.

The prosecution said a few minutes later Safianu called the complainant and presented himself as the son of Sarkodie and that he had come to meet the complainant and Twum at the latter's shop where the car was parked.

It said Safianu after inspecting the car, bargained the price of the car and both parties pegged it at ₵68,000.00 per the instructions of Sarkodie, the court heard.

He said at about 4:30 pm the same day, Sarkodie called the complainant that he had sent his son Safianu with the agreed amount for the purchase of the car but the complainant advised that it was late so he should come the next day.

The prosecution said on August 26, 2020, the complainant called Twum and instructed him to go and pick Safianu from Block 'B' Nkrumah flat at Laterbiokorshie with the car for a meeting at the Prudential Bank Obestebi Lamptey Roundabout branch.

It said Kwaku, a witness in the case in the company of one Kenneth Adrigah picked Safianu and Peprah at the said location, and they headed towards the Bank.

The prosecution said Safianu sat behind the driver (Twum) whilst Peprah sat in the front passenger seat and on reaching Agogo-Abia Street, Safianu and Peprah requested that Twum took them back.

He said on their return and on reaching Itoson Street, Safianu pulled a pistol at Twum and ordered him to stop the car.

Peprah, the prosecution said, immediately pushed the gear stick to neutral and forcefully took the ignition key from Twum's pocket.

Peprah then took over the steering wheels and drove to Modern Academy School. The prosecution said Safianu ordered Twum and his friend Kenneth Adrigah to alight from the car and he (Safianu) marched them to a wooden store, instructed them to tie their shirts together and he shot Twum in the left shoulder.

The convict, the court heard, then joined Peprah in the car and they sped off. The prosecution said a formal complaint was lodged with the police for investigations and on November 17, 2020, during investigation, the convict was arrested from his hideout at Abossey Okai Zongo.

Two days later, an identification parade was conducted where Twum identified Safianu as one of the culprits who robbed them of the car.