Two men jailed 20 years each for GH¢165,000 gold ore robbery
The Bekwai Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region has sentenced two men to 20 years’ imprisonment each for their involvement in a robbery.
The convicts are Justice Kpakpo Mingle, alias Nii, 31, a photographer, and Justice Mensah, alias Gaza, 29, a vulcaniser. Both are residents of Kasoa.
Their alleged accomplice, Festus Mensah, alias Gucci, remains at large.
The two men were tried on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and robbery under Section 149 of the same Act.
According to the facts presented in court by Detective Sergeant Arthur Lennox, the complainant, George Osei Tutu, a miner based at Adansi Dompoase, was travelling with Clinton Amankwa and Simon Ofori Amoah on May 22, 2026, at about 8:00 a.m.
The group was transporting gold ore from a mining site at Denkyei towards Fomena in a pickup truck with registration number GW 3813-25 when they were intercepted along the Denkyei–Fomena road.
The accused persons, dressed in black and brown tactical military or police-style uniforms, allegedly attacked the occupants at gunpoint and stole gold ore valued at GH¢165,000.
Police officers who visited the scene recovered the first accused person’s Ghana Card, voter ID, driver’s licence and a complimentary card bearing the name Nii Akpaloo Concepts and associated telephone numbers.
On June 9, 2026, a team from the Ashanti South Police Intelligence Department travelled to Kasoa and surrounding areas following intelligence reports. The following day, officers arrested the first accused at Kasoa Nyanyano Monaco.
He subsequently led the police to the arrest of the second accused at Kasoa Akweley Junction.
During investigations, both men reportedly confessed to their involvement in the robbery and identified Festus Mensah, an excavator operator working with the complainants, as the alleged mastermind who recruited them from Kasoa.
Justice Mensah told investigators that he received GH¢60,000 as his share of the proceeds. He allegedly gave GH¢20,000 to his wife, Sakinatu, to deposit into her bank account and used the remainder to settle debts and cover expenses for the funeral rites of his late mother.
The first accused also reportedly received GH¢60,000, using GH¢18,000 to purchase an Apsonic Jungle motorbike and spending the balance on rent and other expenses.
The two men further told police that they sold the stolen gold to a dealer at Adabraka in Accra for GH¢151,000.
Investigations also established that the accused persons were reportedly serving as self-appointed security guards for the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Naa Koryor. They had allegedly been provided with black and brown tactical uniforms, which were subsequently used during the robbery.
Police retrieved a brown tactical uniform, black tactical trousers, boots and the Apsonic Jungle motorbike, all of which were retained as exhibits.
At the conclusion of the trial, the court sentenced each convict to 20 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and another 20 years on the robbery charge. The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning each man will serve a total of 20 years.
Police efforts are continuing to recover the pistol allegedly used in the robbery and apprehend the third suspect, Festus Mensah.
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