Yaw Asante Agyekum, who had been serving a 35-year prison sentence since 2010 after being found guilty alongside notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi, who received a 160-year sentence, was acquitted and released by the Court of Appeal.
As a mechanic for Ataa Ayi’s criminal syndicate, which operated throughout Accra in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Agyekum was first arrested in 2002 and later found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
Agyekum insisted on his innocence and challenged the decision, even though Ataa Ayi and his group were found guilty on several robbery charges.
According to his legal team, the prosecution did not present enough proof that would have connected him to the crimes. This argument was upheld by the Court of Appeal, which specifically pointed out that Agyekum was not represented by counsel at his initial trial.
The three-member panel, which included Justices Aboagye Tanoh, Stephen Oppong, and Janapare Bartels Kodwo, declared in its decision that the prosecution had not provided sufficient proof to support the conviction and sentence.
Consequently, the court reversed the previous decision.
One of Ghana’s most feared criminals in the early 2000s was Raymond Aryee Aryeetey, also known as Ataa Ayi, who led a gang in a string of violent armed robberies.
He became well-known for a variety of illegal actions, such as home invasions, jewelry theft, and auto hijackings.
The trauma he caused his victims caused his name to become synonymous with fear throughout the nation.
Because his identity was kept a secret, Ataa Ayi was able to avoid capture for years despite multiple run-ins with the law.
When police caught him at his hideout during a sting operation in February 2005 after receiving a tip, his run came to an end.
He was later given 70 years in prison and an extra 20 years in separate armed robbery cases by an Accra Fast Track High Court.
Yaw Asante Agyekum was one of several of his associates who were found guilty and given sentences for their roles in the gang’s illegal operations.