News
Wrongful conviction: Ataa Ayi’s mechanic freed after serving 23 years in the cooler
Appeals Court has acquitted and discharged Yaw Asante Ageykum, a wrongfully convicted mechanic jailed in 2002 for his alleged association with notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi.
In a judgment today (June 5, 2025), a three-member panel at the Court of Appeal, which had Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo, as its President, held that Agyekum, who was convicted 23 years ago, could not be linked to the many robberies carried out by Ataa Ayi.
The court was of the opinion that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to warrant conviction and sentence of Yaw Asante.
Against this backdrop, the court acquitted and discharged him after eight years of legal battle through his counsel, George Bernard Shaw.
Speaking to the media after he had his freedom, Yaw Asante said, he felt happy and said the court was fair.
Unfortunately, Yaw Asante had already served 23 years of the 35-year sentence handed him by the High Court which sentenced Ataa Ayi to 70 years and 20 years in separate cases of armed robberies.
The three-member panel were Justices Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo, Aboagye Tandoh, and Stephen Oppong.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old driver, Bismark Kpormeno, for possession of a large quantity of compressed plant materials suspected to be Indian hemp.
The arrest was made on Sunday, 31 May 2026 by officers of the Tema Highway Patrol Unit during an operation along the Tema-Ada road.
According to police, the suspect was driving a Hyundai Mighty I container truck and failed to stop when signaled. He attempted to evade arrest but was pursued and apprehended at Bondase.
A search of the vehicle revealed twelve 12 sacks and eighty 80 parcels of compressed plant materials concealed in a container and wrapped in sellotape.
Preliminary investigations show the narcotics were allegedly loaded at Kpeve in the Volta Region and were being transported to Ada.
The suspect is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. The truck and exhibits have been impounded for evidential purposes.
The Tema Regional Police Command says it remains committed to combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
They also urged the public to support law enforcement by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities.
Firefighters from the Peki Fire Station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded swiftly to a fatal head-on collision involving a Mercedes-Benz container truck (WR 1553-C) travelling from Nkwanta to Accra and a Mercedes-Benz passenger bus (GR 3215-E) travelling from Battor to Kabiti in the Oti Region.
The crash occurred at Peki-Tsame near Peki Senior High School in the early hours of Tuesday, 2nd June 2026.
A total of forty (40) persons were involved, comprising twenty-one (21) males, fifteen (15) females, and four (4) children.
Through a coordinated rescue operation, firefighters extricated 25 injured casualties, including 23 adults and two children.
Sadly, 15 persons lost their lives, made up of nine males and 6 females.
The injured were conveyed to the Peki Government Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were handed over to the Police, who conveyed them to the hospital mortuary for preservation and further investigation. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The Ghana National Fire Service has extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and urges all motorists to observe road traffic regulations, avoid dangerous driving practices, and exercise maximum caution on the roads to help prevent accidents and save lives.
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