Eighteen-year-old Anthony Osei Prempeh, a student of Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) who faked the kidnap of his colleague student, De-Vreeze Quainoo, in demand for a ransom has been convicted.
He was convicted on his own admission of guilt and sentenced to a one-year bond of good behaviour.
His sentencing by the Takoradi District Court Presiding Judge, His Worship Michael Ampadu, comes after serving a week in prison remand and showing remorse as well as a plea for leniency by his counsel.
Prempeh who was arrested alongside five other students from three other Senior High schools will face a three-month prison term if he breaches his one-year bond of good behaviour.
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Three out of the other five students, namely De-Vreeze Quainoo, 17, from GSTS, Daniel Kwesi Essel, 17, from Fijai Senior High and Elijah Sam, 16, from Takoradi Technical Institute who also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit crime had their sentences referred to a juvenile court and they will appear before a panel on 21st March for determination.
Meanwhile, the remaining two, Evelyn Agyapong, a 19-year-old student of Takoradi Senior High School and Caleb Windbridge Ayetey Tagoe, a 16-year old student of the Takoradi Technical Institute who rather pleaded not-guilty will also face the juvenile court to defend their plea of not-guilty.
Background
De-Vreeze Quaynoo, allegedly conspired with some other students to fake the kidnapping claim.
Police said they were pursuing the other four accomplices.
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Facts
Reports from the Metropolitan Police Crime Officer, Superintendent Alhaji Musah Hussein Awinaba, stated that Daniel and De-Vreeze bought and registered a new SIM card to be used in making calls for the money-extorting effort.
The SIM card was allegedly used to call De-Vreeze’s parents and relatives who lived at Sefwi Wiawso, that De-Vreeze had been kidnapped and the assailants were demanding a ransom of GH¢9000.
Sup. Hussein said at 9:20 p.m. last Wednesday, the Senior Housemaster of GSTS, Mr Bernard Adu Ampako, informed the police that Quaynoo had left the school premises about 3 p.m. and had subsequently been reported kidnapped by an unknown caller.
When the team arrived at the scene, they found De-Vreeze’s school uniform in the house and asked how the uniform got there.
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The landlady told the police that De-vreeze and the other alleged accomplices, namely Osei-Prempeh, Daniel and Evelyn, visited her son, Elijah Sam, the previous night and stayed until 10 p.m. when she asked them to go back home.
The landlady said although they left, they returned to her son the following morning with an explanation that they were there to study.