After more than two decades behind bars, 47-year-old Yaw Asante Agyekum walked out of prison a free man on Thursday following a ruling by the Court of Appeal that overturned his conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery.
Mr Agyekum, a mechanic by profession, was sentenced to 35 years in December 2002 at the age of 24. He had been accused of acting as an accomplice to the infamous Ghanaian armed robber Ataa Ayi, born Ayi Ayeetey, whose crime spree in the early 2000s left a lasting imprint on the nation’s memory.
But in a dramatic turn of events, a three-member panel of Justices found that the evidence used to convict Mr Agyekum was inadequate and flawed. Delivering their decision on June 4, 2025, the Court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Agyekum had any direct involvement in the crimes.
His lawyer, George Bernard Shaw, argued throughout the appeal process that Mr Agyekum’s only connection to the case was his mechanical workshop, where some of the motorbikes used by the robbers had reportedly been serviced. “He was guilty by association not by action,” Mr Shaw told reporters outside the courthouse.
The verdict has sparked renewed debate about Ghana’s criminal justice system and the plight of wrongfully convicted individuals.
Human rights advocates have welcomed the decision but are calling for a broader review of similar past cases, especially where evidence may have been circumstantial or weak.
