Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has defended the lengthy 70-year prison sentence he handed down to notorious criminal, Ayi Ayeetey (alias Atta Ayi).

Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie recalled a case from his “youthful days” in which he sentenced the notorious armed robber to 70 years in prison.

“The judges and magistrates, they are trained, they have sentencing guidelines,” he said. “But sometimes they have to go beyond it. In my youthful days, I gave somebody 70 years, Atta Ayi."

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Justice Baffoe-Bonnie emphasised that while sentencing guidelines provide a framework, judges must sometimes exercise discretion to address the broader context of a case, including public safety and the protection of vulnerable parties.

"I gave him 70 years. And what I told myself was that if Atta Ayi was given 30 years and he comes back, my family will be the first he will attack. So by the time he comes back after 70 years, I will be dead and gone,” he said lightheartedly to laughter in the audience.

Background

Ataa Ayi, who was described by the police as the nation's most notorious bandit,t had a high price tag placed on his head by the police. His whereabouts before he was captured prompted the largest manhunt in the nation's crime history, with expensive billboards bearing his portrait mounted in five of the ten regions of the country. Ataa Ayi was arrested in his hideout in the Teshie Tsui Bleo, a suburb of Accra.

His girlfriend, suspected to be an accomplice, was also arrested in the raid.

Before his arrest, the police had been on his heels for months. His deputy, Emmanuel Tetteh, also known as Mpata, was also arrested. It was believed that information provided by Mpata might have helped to track down the elusive Ataa Ayi.

According to police, Ataa Ayi was the brain behind most of the brutal armed robberies in Accra. He and members of his gang were alleged to have, at gunpoint, stolen money, cars, jewellery and other valuables from various people in the national capital. He was also alleged to have shot several people who resisted his attacks. He was convicted of multiple counts of armed robbery offences and jailed in 2005.