Atta Ayi’s mechanic freed after wrongful conviction led to over 20 years in jail

Atta Ayi’s Mechanic Released After 23 Years in Jail

The Court of Appeal in Accra has acquitted Yaw Asante Agyekum. He was wrongfully convicted in 2002 as an accomplice of robber Ataa Ayi.

Agyekum served 23 years of a 35-year sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery. The court ruled that he had been wrongly convicted.

Agyekum was accused of being a mechanic for Ayi's crew. This crew terrorized Accra in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ayi and his crew were convicted of multiple robberies.

Agyekum appealed his conviction, claiming no evidence linked him to the crimes. His lawyers argued that he had no legal representation during the trial.

Upon appeal, the court agreed with Agyekum's lawyers and overturned the conviction. He recalled that his daughter was just one month old when he went to jail.