After spending more than two decades behind bars, 47-year-old mechanic Yaw Asante Agyekum has finally walked free, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal that overturned his 35-year prison sentence for his alleged involvement in a string of armed robberies led by the infamous criminal, Raymond Aryee-Ayitey, popularly known as Ataa Ayi.
Agyekum, who was arrested in 2002 at the age of 24, was convicted in 2010 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and armed robbery, after prosecutors alleged he worked as a mechanic for Ataa Ayi’s gang, which terrorised Accra and its environs during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
While Ataa Ayi received a staggering 160-year sentence for multiple violent robberies, Agyekum was handed a 35-year term, despite never being directly tied to any of the actual crimes.
However, in a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal ruled that the evidence presented during Agyekum’s trial was insufficient to support his conviction.
The panel—comprising Justices Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo, Stephen Oppong, and Aboagye Tandoh—concluded that the prosecution had failed to substantiate claims that Agyekum was actively involved in any of the robberies.
Reading the judgment, Justice Aboagye Tandoh noted that although Agyekum had been associated with known criminals, mere association was not proof of guilt.
He referenced the adage “Show me your friend, and I’ll show you your character,” cautioning against the use of guilt by association as a basis for serious criminal convictions.
“It appears Mr. Agyekum became a scapegoat in a high-profile case. The burden of proof rested with the prosecution, and that burden was not met,” Justice Tandoh stated.
Significantly, the court also took into account the fact that Agyekum had no legal representation during his original trial, raising serious concerns about due process.
His appeal, filed with the assistance of lawyer George Bernard Shaw, argued that his conviction was based largely on hearsay and uncorroborated testimony from co-accused individuals—many of whom may have had incentives to deflect blame.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Shaw described the ruling as “a deeply emotional and long-overdue moment of justice.”
“This has been a 23-year nightmare for a man who never should have been imprisoned in the first place. Today’s decision is not only a legal victory—it is a vindication of innocence,” Shaw said.
Now a free man at 47, Agyekum expressed mixed emotions over his release. While grateful for his freedom, he reflected soberly on the years he lost.
“I was just a young man trying to earn a living as a mechanic. I had no idea that knowing the wrong people could cost me half my life,” he told reporters, his voice shaking.
