A Kumasi High Court has slapped a total of 14 years and six months on three people, including a 73-year-old man, arrested for illegally possessing firearms in Ashanti Region.

The court presided over by Justice Obiri Yeboah on Wednesday gave the verdict after a seven-member jury found all three persons guilty of unlawful possession of firearms.

Umar Shatta, 73, will do a 10-year time with hard labour, while two other persons – Suleman Alhassan and Fran Badu- were slapped with six months and four years jail time respectively.  

The three were busted in December 2015 in what was deemed to be the biggest arms haul in the history of Kumasi.

They were picked up at a house in Alabar, a suburb of Kumasi, upon a tip-off as they were planning to transport a cache of ammunition to Niger.

The supply included 11 AK-47 assault rifles, 10 G-3 assault rifles, several magazines and a large quantity of ammunition.  

A Burkinabe who was arrested with the suspects confessed to police he bought the weapons from Ivory Coast and was transporting them to Niger before he was arrested at his Alabar residence.

After three years of investigations and prosecution, counsel for the convicts James Asamoah told Joy News’ Kwasi Debrah that justice has been served.

‘The court in arriving at its judgement took into consideration the evidence that was given during the committal and what happened in the open court,’ he said.

He believes his clients, being truthful throughout the committal and the open court process, got a reduced sentence.