Court of Appeal Acquits Ataa Ayi’s Alleged Accomplice

Yaw Asante Agyekum

After serving 22 years in prison, the Court of Appeal has acquitted Yaw Asante Agyekum who was accused of being an accomplice to notorious armed robber, Ataa Ayi.

Agyekum was arrested in 2002 and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery which led to a conviction and a 35-year jail term handed to him.

But after serving almost 23 years in prison, the Court of Appeal has held that he was wrongly convicted and sentenced.

The court in its decision on an appeal filed by his counsel, George Bernard Shaw, said it was convinced that the purported confession by some of the suspects arrested in connection with Ataa Ayi and later convicted, against Agyekum did not carry any weight.

A 3-member panel presided over by Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo and assisted by Justices Aboagye Tanoh and Stephen Oppong, after a careful consideration of the evidence concluded that the Prosecution had failed to give enough evidence to warrant the conviction and sentencing of Yaw Asante Agyekum.

The court subsequently acquitted and discharged him. Agyekum who wore a white T-Shirt to the proceeding could not hide his excitement.

He told journalists after the acquittal that life and prison have taught him a lot, but he has forgiven any person who played a role in his wrongful conviction and sentencing.

He confirmed that he used to repair Ataa Ayi’s motorbike prior to his arrest but he had no idea he was an armed robber.

“I was a motor repairer and I used to fix Ataa Ayi’s motorbike. I did not know that he was an armed robber. I only knew him as a taxi driver in the town, he told journalists.

BY Gibril Abdul Razak

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