Bank cleaner jailed 25 years for calling 3 robbers to rob customer of GHC600k

He was a cleaner at the Ghana Commercial Bank branch at Asikuma in the Central Region when he connived with three others to rob a bank customer.

According to Myjoyonline.com, the presiding judge, Justice Kwasi Boakye indicated that even though Michael’s share of the booty was the least – ¢10,000, he deserves the severest of the sanctions because of the role he played in the operation.

The judge sentenced three of the robbers for conspiracy to commit the crime of robbery contrary to sections 23 [1] and 149 [1] of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29] to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour, while the bank staff was sentenced to 25 years in hard labour.

"I take good note of the role he played in the commissioning of the robbery. For purposes of emphasis, the undisputed evidence is that Michael called one of the robbers on the phone to alert him that the customer had withdrawn the money and was leaving the bank premises," the news website quoted the judge as having said.

Before their sentencing, the convicts accepted guilt and pleaded for clemency.

Background

"The facts accompanying the charges are that Patrick Gyamerah, the manager of Nyankopa Cocoa Buying Ltd, is the complainant. The accused persons are Ibrahim Abubakar, a scrap dealer; Muniru Seidu, labourer; Sadick Abubakar, farmer and Michael Fosu, cleaner at the Breman Asikuma Commercial Bank.

"On October 28, 2020, the complainant went to the Ghana Commercial Bank [GCB] at Breman Asikuma to withdraw ¢600,000 for his employer, Nyankopa Cocoa Buying Ltd.

"The money was put in a sack and loaded into his vehicle with the help of Obed Mintah, his Technical Officer and Eric Amissah, his Accountant. They set off with the money in the boot of his car.

"The Accountant followed up on a motorcycle. A few metres to their Depot, they were stopped by two of the robbers who were wielding guns. They asked the complainant to turn off the car engine and get down from the car. He obliged.

"They asked him to open the car boot and marched him with Eric Amissah and Obed Mintah into the nearby bush, where they tied them with sellotape. The robbers took all the money from the car boot, used Eric Amissah’s motorcycle and fled from the scene.

"The complainant and his colleagues managed to free themselves later and got to their workplace, where they informed their officers of the incident.

"Finally, they reported the matter to the police. The police immediately embarked on sustained searches for the robbers. On October 30, 2020, the police stopped a taxi during a snap-check within Breman Asikuma. A search in the taxi cab led to the discovery of sacks of money packed under the car seats.

"All the three persons on board were arrested. One robber onboard the taxi told police that it was part of the money they robbed from the complainant.

"Abubakar Ibrahim had ¢208,120.00 in a sack. He led police to Muniru Seidu’s house at Nsuokor village. A search on Muniru yielded ¢54,800.

"Abubakar Ibrahim then led police again to Michael Fosu, the bank cleaner’s house. A search in his room yielded ¢8,000.

"Finally, Mr Ibrahim led police to Ring Road Circle, popularly called Circle in Accra, where Muniru Seidu was arrested.

"Mr Muniru took the police into the bush around Abebrese village near Assikuma, where he had kept his portion of ¢200,000.

"The Police investigations revealed that the accused persons and one Tommy planned to rob the complainant. On October 26, 2020, Michael Fosu, a cleaner at GCB, called Abubakar Seidu and told him that the complainant had come for money at GCB.

"Abubakar Seidu, who was standing at a vantage point somewhere at Breman Assikuma town monitoring the complainant’s movements, relayed this information to Tommy and the rest of the accused persons.

"Abubakar Ibrahim and Muniru Seidu lay in wait in the bush and attacked the complainant when he got there.

"After that, they met Tommy and shared the money. Then, Tommy gave Abubakar Seidu his share. In turn, Seidu gave the bank cleaner ¢10,000.

"Abubakar Ibrahim and Muniru Seidu confessed to conspiring to rob the complainant during investigations.

"They explained that the complainant contracted them to take the money from him as he was in debt.

"Michael Fosu, the bank cleaner, stated that Abubakar Seidu told him about the plan to rob the complainant, but he refused to take part. However, after the robbery, Seidu gave him ¢10,000 for not revealing their plan to anyone," Myjoyonline.com reports.

Bank cleaner jailed 25 years for calling 3 robbers to rob customer of GHC600k

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