Car snatcher jailed 15 years

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a farmer to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour for snatching a Toyota Corolla.

Emmanuel Badasu, 35, denied robbing Mr Shadrack Ofori of his GHC2,595.00, Huawei and Samsung cellular phones valued GHC4,500.00, in addition to his official saloon car but was found culpable after trial.

His accomplice, only named Bortey, is on the run.

Police Chief Inspector Benson Benneh told the Court that Mr Ofori, a pharmacist, worked with the PHARMANOVA Company at Community 14, Lashibi.

The prosecution said on November 22, 2019, at about 0130 hours, Mr Ofori, the complainant made a formal complaint with the Sakumono Police that he was attacked and robbed in his room by two men.

He said the men, wielding a machete and mallet, broke into the room and caused damage to the main wooden door.

It said the gang succeeded in robbing the complainant of his official vehicle with the registration number GR 9150 – 17 as well as his cash and phones.

The Court heard that the stolen car had a tracking device, thus, he was asked to inform his company to help track it immediately.

The prosecution said the police patrol team was furnished with the location of the car and together with the complainant and a witness in the case, tracked the car to Osu near Old American Embassy at 0220 hours, where Badasu, the convict was spotted with the car, and he was arrested.

It said the car was found without the number plates with the “PHARMANOVA,” the company’s logo on both front doors of the car.

The prosecution said he was then escorted together with the car to the Sakumono Police Station for investigations.

However, it said the convict denied the offences in his cautioned statements to the Police and mentioned Bortey, his accomplice, now at large, as the owner of the car.