Driver Jailed 15 Years for Robbery
A driver, Emmanuel Bannor, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Abuakwa Circuit Court for robbing a Fidelity Bank staff member at knife-point.
The ruling was delivered by His Honour Jeffta Appau after the accused pleaded guilty and admitted to the offence during investigations. Bannor was charged with robbery contrary to Section 149(1) of the Criminal Offences Act.
According to the facts presented by Prosecuting Officer, Chief Inspector Evans Ayimbisa, the incident occurred on the night of June 24, 2025, around 9:30 p.m. The victim, Rita Karikari, a Direct Sales Executive at Fidelity Bank and resident of Atwima Koforidua, was walking home from work when she was attacked near the Mechanic Shop in the area.
The accused, who wore a face mask, pulled a butcher’s knife on the victim and forcibly took her handbag, which contained an iPhone worth GH¢5,600, her staff ID card, keys, and other personal items.
Investigations revealed that Bannor removed the SIM card from the phone and attempted to sell it to his niece for GH¢4,000, claiming it was his but locked. She gave him GH¢1,000 and sent the phone to a software engineer to bypass its security system.
However, the phone was traced by police to the engineer’s shop, leading to its recovery. The engineer mentioned one Maxwell Osei as the person who brought in the device. Osei was contacted by the police, arrested, and later led them to Bannor’s residence, where the accused was apprehended.
During questioning, Bannor confessed and directed officers to a garden in front of his home where he had dumped the victim’s bag. A search of his room also uncovered the knife used in the robbery.
The court, in delivering the sentence, cited the violent nature of the crime and its impact on public safety. The 15-year jail term with hard labour is expected to send a strong signal against similar acts of violent crime in the region.
