Galamsey operator jailed for robbery

The Sunyani Circuit Court ‘‘A’’ in the Brong Ahafo Region has convicted a 36-year-old galamsey operator, Apelege Akurugu, to 65 year’s imprisonment on two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.  
Akurugu, who had his left leg amputated as a result of the criminal act, and three others, one of whom is now at large, were alleged to have attacked two Indians, who lived at Anyinabrem, a suburb of Techiman.

They were said to have shot one of the victims in the head with a locally manufactured pistol at about 11.30 p.m. on May 9, 2013.

The said victim died later at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after he had been referred from the Techiman Holy Family Hospital.

Akurugu and his gang collected a booty of GH¢33,111.00 and a gold necklace.

Akurugu had earlier pleaded guilty with an explanation to the charges and the court found him guilty after listening to his explanation.

He pleaded with the court, presided over by Mr Ekow Mensah, to have mercy on him, since he had a family but the presiding judge declined and sentenced him to five and 65 year’s imprisonment, respectively, on each of the counts, which are to run concurrently.

Two of the accomplices; Peh Kwabena Mathias, 28, a cashew nut sales agent, and Anamo Abugri, 27, a security guard; who pleaded not guilty to the same charges, have been remanded in prison custody and are to reappear later. The fourth suspect, Kwaku Twum Oduro, is at large.

According to Chief Inspector Francis Addo, the prosecutor, the complainant in the case, Mr Sunesh Sushaakaran, was the Quality Inspector for Maryghan Ghana Limited (dealers in cashew nuts at Anyinabrem) and lived with one Mr Rajesh Muraleedhara, who was the Area Manager of the company.

He said Akurugu resided at Akwatia while Mathias was the sole agent of the company and worked directly under Sushaakaran with Abugri, a security guard of a private security company, Bisako.

Chief Inspector Addo said on that fateful day, Rajesh engaged some casual workers to bag some cashew nuts in the warehouse and load them onto a trailer to be dispatched to Tema for export.

He said shortly after they had finished the assignment and had locked the main gate that led to the top floor, Akurugu and Oduro emerged from an unoccupied apartment of the building and attacked Sushaakaran and Muraleedhara with a pistol and a knife.

According to the prosecutor, Akurugu and the gang ordered them not to shout and asked Muraleedhara to surrender all of the monies on him or they would kill him.

The prosecutor said before Muraleedhara could show where he had kept the money, Oduro shot him at a very close range on the forehead after Akurugu told him that Muraleedhara was delaying.

Chief Inspector Addo said Akurugu and Oduro then searched the room and succeeded in taking the GH¢33,111, comprising GH¢50, GH¢20 and GH¢10 denominations, which Muraleedhara had kept in a drawer in his room.

The prosecutor said when the two robbers came out from the room, they discovered that the main gate to the storey building had been locked and, therefore, decided to jump down from the storey building and in the process, Akurugu sustained a fracture in the left leg.

According to Chief Inspector Addo, the complainant, with the assistance of neighbours, rushed Muraleedhara to hospital for treatment but was later referred to the KATH for further observation due to his critical condition but he died later on May 10, 2013.

A report was also made at the Techiman police station and Akurugu was arrested.

From Akwasi Ampratwum- Mensah, Sunyani
The Mirror/Ghana


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