Driver Sentenced to Eight Years Imprisonment for Attempted Kidnapping Plot

An Accra Circuit Court has handed down an eight-year prison sentence in hard labor to Godfred Ayittey, a driver found guilty of attempting to kidnap a father and daughter for ransom. Ayittey, who denied involvement in a conspiracy with Wang Liang, was convicted after a trial. Wang Liang remains at large.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, a witness named Richard Asomaning reported the matter to the Tema Police on August 3, 2022. Asomaning revealed that Ayittey had recruited him via phone for a kidnapping plot, prompting him to seek out a competent driver for the operation.

DSP Nyamekye explained that the witness, feigning interest, provided copies of his driver’s license and Ghana card, along with those of a recruited driver, Peter Ofoe Agbovie, to Ayittey. The witness then arranged a meeting with Ayittey to discuss potential victims.

During the meeting, Ayittey disclosed Mr. Joseph K. Horgle, owner of J. K. Horgle Transport and Company Limited, and his daughter Elinam as the intended victims. Notably, Ayittey never met the witnesses in person, maintaining communication solely through phone calls.

Tema Police sought assistance from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for the investigation. Witnesses were interviewed at the NIB, revealing that Ayittey had created a WhatsApp group for the kidnapping operation. Ayittey provided funds to Asomaning for surveillance and instructed Agbovie to rent a vehicle, while he procured guns for the planned kidnapping.

Ayittey was arrested on August 09, 2022, and admitted to the offense, implicating Wang Liang in engineering the kidnapping plot. Investigations disclosed Ayittey’s prior employment at the intended victim’s company from 2017 to 2018, where he gained knowledge of the victim’s financial capacity.

The court learned that Ayittey intended to use cryptocurrency to transfer ransom funds to Wang Liang’s account in China to avoid detection. Asomaning’s initial contact with Ayittey occurred when he posted his details on an online job platform, seeking employment as a driver.

Ayittey was charged with the offense following a comprehensive investigation.

Source: GNA