Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, don defend di 70-year jail sentence wey he give to notorious armed robber Ayi Ayeetey, wey everybody know am as Ataa Ayi. He dey talk say di decision base on law and di need to protect di public.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, wey appear before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, remember di big case from im early days on di bench. He talk say judges and magistrates dey train well and dem dey follow sentencing guidelines, but sometimes dem for go beyond dem.
Why 70 Years?
He explain say even though sentencing guidelines dey give general framework, judges sometimes for use dem discretion base on how di case be. He talk say to protect di public and to deter people dey justify harsher penalties. E say, "I give am 70 years. And wetin I tell myself be say if Atta Ayi dem give am 30 years and he come back, my family go be di first he go attack. So by di time he come back after 70 years, I go don die and gone."
Ataa Ayi: Ghana's Most Dangerous?
Police once describe Ataa Ayi as Ghana’s most dangerous armed robber. Authorities launch big manhunt, with billboards wey dey show im image for many regions. Dem catch am for Teshie Tsui Bleo, one suburb for Accra, after security agencies chase am for months. Dem arrest im girlfriend too, wey dem suspect say she dey help am.
- Ataa Ayi lead network of armed robbers.
- Dem responsible for many violent attacks for Accra.
- Dem target victims for cash, vehicles, jewellery, and other valuables.
Police investigation show say Ataa Ayi lead network of armed robbers wey dey responsible for many violent attacks for Accra. Dem dey target victims for cash, vehicles, jewellery, and other valuables. People injure for inside di operations. He and im gang members dem convict of multiple counts of armed robbery and dem sentence dem for 2005, wey bring end to one of di most intense criminal manhunt for di country.