By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, June 6, GNA – The Court of Appeal Thursday acquitted and discharged Yaw Asante Agyekum, an alleged accomplice to the notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Agyekum was remanded in 2002 and sentenced in 2010. He has, therefore, spent 23 years in prison, together with Ataa Ayi, who was sentenced to 160 years.
Agyekum, who was said to be Ataa Ayi’s mechanic, has served 15 years of his sentence. He was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder.
However, Agyekum’s lawyers appealed the sentence, arguing that the prosecution was not able to link their client to any of the crimes.
The Court of Appeal agreed with the lawyers on the basis that at the time Agyekum was convicted, he had no legal representation and, thus, set aside the conviction.
The three-member panel; Justice Aboagye Tanoh, Justice Stephen Oppong, and Justice Janapare Bartels Kodwo, noted that the prosecution failed to “give enough evidence to warrant conviction and sentence.”
Agyekum was arrested while in church in 2001, just a month after his wife had taken seed.
He maintained throughout his trial and incarceration that his only link to Ataa Ayi was professional, through his work as a mechanic.
For now, Agyekum said he was grateful to regain his freedom and expressed the hope to rebuild the life that was abruptly taken from him more than two decades ago.
Ataa Ayi, born Raymond Ayeetey, and his crew were convicted on multiple counts of robbery.
They were noted to have terrorised the streets of Accra in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe