Ataa Ayi’s mechanic released after 23 years in jail

The Court of Appeal has acquitted Yaw Asante Agyekum. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2010. Agyekum was convicted alongside notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi, who received a 160-year sentence.

Agyekum was remanded in 2002 and has spent 23 years in jail. He served 15 years of his sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. He worked as a mechanic for Atta Ayi's crew, which terrorized Accra in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Ataa Ayi and his crew were convicted of multiple robberies. However, Agyekum appealed his conviction. His lawyers argued that the prosecution could not link him to any crimes.

Upon appeal, the court agreed with Agyekum's lawyers. He had no legal representation during his original trial. The three-member panel found that the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence for conviction.

As a result, they set aside Agyekum's conviction and discharged him.