Man, 29, jailed 20 years for robbing IMF Country Director

The Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced one Mohammed Buzu, a 29-year-old trader to 20 years in jail for pulling a machete on the Country Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and robbing him and his wife.

The convict was found guilty on the two charges of causing harm and robbery.

For his sentence, he is to serve five years on causing harm and 15 years for robbery.

The court presided over by Her Honour Mrs. Rosemary Baah Torsu said the punishments are to run consecutively.

This means the convict is to serve a combined 20 years for the two charges.

Two other persons Kenneth Antwi aged 25, and Baffour Adjei Gyimah, 34, all traders who were charged with abetment of crime were discharged by the court.

Prior to the judgment today, the three accused denied the charges and they went through full trial before the court presided over by Mrs. Rosemary Baah Torsu.

Brief facts

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector of Police Martin Adu Acheampong told the court that, the first complainant is Dr. Oral William, an Economist, while the second complainant Mrs. Claudia Allen William a teacher, both residents of Cantonments in Accra.

Chief Inspector Acheampong told the court that, Buzu resides at Dansoman, Antwi resides at Kasoa, and Gyimah a mobile money vendor and a resident of Amasaman Obeyiyie.

He said on January 18, this year, at about 0300 hours, Dr. William heard a noise emanating from his bathroom and decided to check what was going on, only to see Buzu armed with a machete, cutter, and a plier.

The Prosecutor said Buzu ordered Dr. William to surrender all his monies but Dr. William told Buzu that he had no money on him.

He said Mrs. Williams heard her husband exchanging words with somebody so she tried to see who that person was and Buzu on seeing Mrs. William ordered her to lie down.

The Prosecutor said Buzu again demanded that the two complainants show him where they keep their monies but they told the accused that they had no money in the house.

He said Buzu then raised the machete to slash Mrs. Williams but her husband used his left hand to block it.

The Prosecutor said Buzu slashed Dr William’s hand and robbed them of their iPhone X valued at $1,000.00, one Samsung J7 valued at $220.00, one Blu Vivo 5 smartphone valued at $165, one leather bag valued at $400.00, one wallet costing $100.00, one sunglass valued $300.00 and cash in the sum of GHC200.00 among others.

The prosecutor said Dr. Williams was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital after which he was flown to South Africa for further treatment.

The Prosecutor said on January 18, this year, a complaint was lodged at Cantonments Police station and later transferred to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department.

Stolen items

The Prosecution said during investigations the Police tracked the victim’s iPhone X to Pokuase on February 15, this year where a witness in the matter was arrested and the phone retrieved.

He said upon interrogation the witness mentioned Gyimah as the one who sold the victim’s iPhone X with another phone to him at Circle in Accra.

He said on February 18, this year Gyimah was also arrested at Kwame Nkrumah Circle where he sells mobile phones, and when he was questioned he mentioned Antwi as the one who sold the complainant’s iPhone X to him for GHC2,900.00.

The Prosecutor said on February 22, this year, Antwi was picked up by the police at a hotel in Pokuase and further investigations revealed that Antwi has been sponsoring Buzu to rob victims and that he is the sole person who has been receiving all the booties.

The Prosecutor said Buzu has been robbing his victims and selling them and that he has been working with Antwi for the past two years.

According to him, in their caution statements, the accused admitted the offenses.