Why I gave Ataa Ayi 70 years instead of 30 – Chief Justice nominee explains

Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has explained why he sentenced one of Ghana’s most notorious criminals, Ataa Ayi, born Raymond Ayee Ayeetey, to 70 years imprisonment instead of 30 years.

According to him, the decision was necessary to protect public safety and to ensure that justice reflected the emotional, social, and economic harm suffered by victims.

Responding to questions during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 10 November 2025, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said:

The judges and magistrates are trained and have sentencing guidelines. But sometimes they have to go beyond them. In my youthful days, I gave somebody 70 years – Ataa Ayi.

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He added:

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 would be the first he would attack. So by the time he comes back after 70 years, I will be dead and gone.

Background: Who is Ataa Ayi?

Ataa Ayi was one of Ghana’s most feared armed robbers in the early 2000s. A former taxi driver in Adabraka, Accra, he turned to crime after crashing his master’s car and being unable to pay for the repairs. Desperate and out of options, he joined a criminal gang that launched him into a violent career of armed robbery.

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In 1999, Ataa Ayi carried out his first major operation, stealing 12 million old cedis with his gang. The success emboldened him, and he went on to orchestrate a series of violent robberies across Accra. His gang trailed victims from banks, hijacked vehicles, and stole cash, cars, and valuables. Their total haul was estimated at about 700 million old cedis, along with numerous vehicles, mobile phones, and jewellery.

Ataa Ayi’s criminal fame grew to such an extent that his face was displayed on billboards nationwide in an unprecedented manhunt. His name became synonymous with armed robbery in Ghana, entering popular vocabulary as a symbol of criminality.

After years on the run, he was finally arrested on 28 February 2005 at his hideout in Teshie-Nungua.

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He was subsequently sentenced to 160 years imprisonment with hard labour and is currently serving his sentence at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison in Cape Coast.