A High Court in Koforidua has sentenced a police officer who is already serving a prison sentence of 20 years for robbery to additional 15 years in prison for Illicit trafficking in explosive, firearm and ammunition.
The court, presided over by her Ladyship Justice Cecilia Davis, found Corporal Ghasty Yaaya Seidu, 39, guilty of Illicit Trafficking in Explosive, Firearm and Ammunition contrary to section 192 A(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) as Amended by Act 849 of 2012.
This was after pleading not guilty to the charges.
The convict denied his signatures and thumb prints on both his Caution and Charge statements given to the police, prompting the Judge to order forensic examination by the Forensic Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service.
After a laborious examination of the documents and other documents which he had previously authored, the two experts came to confirm that both the thumb prints and signatures on the two disputed documents were those of the accused person.
Prosecuting, state attorney, Cyril Keteku told the court that on May,3, 2018 , the police had a tip-off that the convict, who was remanded for robbery had sold a 9mm SA.XP Pistol with 43 pieces of ammunition to one Joel Sackitey for an amount of Ghc 1,200.00 sometime in the year 2015.
He said the accused person also collected an amount of Ghc 1,500.00 from Joel under the pretext of facilitating the registration of the pistol but failed to do so.
Mr Keteku told the court police officers from the eastern regional command proceeded to Akuse where Joel lived to retrieve the pistol.
He said, Seidu who was in remand custody at the Koforidua Central prisons for the offense of robbery was interrogated and admitted selling the pistol and its ammunition to the witness. He however, mentioned one Wayo of Kumasi as his source of supply.
The prosecutor told the court that on May 10, 2018 the police proceeded to Kumasi in the Ashanti region, ostensibly to trace the suspect but could not find him.
A Circuit Court in Koforidua, presided over by Her worship Mercy Addai Kotei, in March this year, sentenced Corporal Ghasty Yaaya Seidu to 20 years imprisonment after finding him guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit crime, to wit robbery and robbery.
He will serve the 20 years of the robbery sentence and proceed to serve the 15 years.