Freedom at Last: Ataa Ayi’s Former Mechanic Walks Free After 23 Years Behind Bars
Wrongfully jailed without a lawyer, Yaw Asante Agyekum finally walks free as court overturns flawed conviction
- Yaw Asante Agyekum freed after 23 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit
- Court rules conviction unjust
- Linked to Ataa Ayi's gang, but appeal clears him of all charges
Yaw Asante Agyekum, once accused of being linked to Ghana’s most infamous armed robber, Ataa Ayi, has finally regained his freedom after spending 23 years in prison.
Originally remanded in 2002 and sentenced to 35 years in 2010 for conspiracy to commit murder, Agyekum was convicted alongside Ataa Ayi, who received a staggering 160-year sentence.
Prosecutors claimed Agyekum was a mechanic for the notorious criminal gang that plagued Accra in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
However, after years behind bars—and serving 15 years of his sentence—Agyekum appealed, arguing that there was no concrete evidence tying him to the crimes. The Court of Appeal agreed, noting that he was convicted without legal representation and that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient proof.
In a unanimous decision, Justices Aboagye Tanoh, Stephen Oppong, and Janapare Bartels Kodwo acquitted and discharged Agyekum, citing a lack of evidence to justify his conviction.
His release marks a dramatic turn in one of Ghana’s most high-profile criminal cases.
