Source: newsthemegh.com
Following his conviction for trying to kidnap a father and daughter for ransom, driver Godfred Ayittey was sentenced Ghana eight years in jail with hard labor by an Accra Circuit Court.
After being found guilty, Mr. Ayittey, who had denied planning to kidnap the two alongside Wang Liang, was convicted guilty. Wang Liang is still on the loose.
The case was brought before the court by Emmanuel Nyamekye, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
The prosecution stated that on August 3, 2022, Richard Asomaning, a witness, informed the Tema Police that Mr. Ayittey had been contacting him over the phone to recruit him for a kidnapping scheme.
Finding a capable driver for the operation was another duty assigned to Mr. Asomaning.
DSP Nyamekye revealed that Asomaning, seeming to be interested, sent copies of his driver’s license and Ghana card as well as those of his buddy Peter Ofoe Agbovie, whom he had enlisted on Mr. Ayittey’s behalf.
To go over the specifics of the operation, the witnesses then scheduled a meeting with Mr. Ayittey.
Prosecution claims that Mr. Ayittey named the victims as J. K. Horgle Transport and Company Limited owner Mr. Joseph K. Horgle and his daughter Elinam, Deputy Managing Director of the same business. Never having met the witnesses in person, Mr. Ayittey’s interactions with them were limited to phone conversations.
For the investigation, Tema Police requested support from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). Mr. Ayittey built a WhatsApp group platform for the operation, according to witnesses questioned at the NIB. Mr. Ayittey sent Mr. Asomaning GHS50.00 for surveillance, and the prisoner received the first set of photos taken on the company’s property.
According to DSP Nyamekye, Mr. Ayittey requested that Mr. Agbovie rent a car while he went ahead and bought weapons for the operation. After being located and apprehended on August 09, 2022, Ayittey confessed to the crime and identified Wang Liang as the abduction’s mastermind.
According to investigations, Mr. Ayittey was employed as a driver by the intended victim’s business from 2017 to 2018. Understanding the former boss’s financial resources, Mr. Ayittey planned to pay Wang Liang’s ransom using cryptocurrency into his Chinese account in order to evade discovery.
The accused originally called Mr. Asomaning for a driver position after obtaining his phone number from an internet job site, but later changed the subject to kidnapping. Mr. Ayittey was charged with the offense following an investigation.