Man wrongfully jailed as Ataa Ayi’s accomplice acquitted and discharged after 23 years in jail

The Appeals Court has acquitted Yaw Asante Agyekum. He is a mechanic who was wrongly convicted in 2002. He received a 35-year prison sentence for allegedly associating with armed robber Ataa Ayi.

Agyekum served over 20 years of his sentence. On June 5, 2025, the court acquitted and discharged him.

His lawyer, Bernard Kwabena Shaw, argued on April 28, 2025. He stated there was no evidence linking Agyekum to the robberies. The prosecution claimed that motorbikes used by robbers were repaired in Agyekum's workshop.

During the police operation against Ataa Ayi, they found Agyekum's name on phones. He had no legal counsel during his trial and was sentenced alongside others.

Agyekum expressed his innocence to the media. "I always prayed I would be out of prison," he said. He added that he only knew Ataa Ayi as a taxi driver.

Ataa Ayi, also known as Raymond Aryee Aryeetey, terrorized Ghanaians in the early 2000s. His crimes included robberies, carjackings, and house raids. In February 2005, police arrested him during a sting operation.

He received separate sentences of 70 years and 20 years for armed robbery from the Accra Fast Track High Court.

After his release, Yaw Asante Agyekum met his daughter for the first time since she was born. She is now 23 years old and expressed joy at her father's freedom.