The brain behind most of the brutal armed robberies in Accra

Police have arrested the most wanted man in Ghana. Atta Ayi was arrested on Monday afternoon at his hideout in the Teshie Tsui Bleo surburb of Accra. His girlfriend, suspected to be an accomplice, was also arrested in the raid.

According to police Atta Ayi is the brain behind most of the brutal armed robberies in Accra. He and members of his gang are alleged to have forcibly stolen money, cars, jewelry and other valuables from various people in the national capital. They are also alleged to have murdered several people who resisted their attacks. Recently, the gang is said to have adopted a new strategy of trailing people who go to banks to collect money. They usually follow their victims into secluded locations where they threaten them with death if they do not give up their monies.

Police have been on Atta Ayi's heels for months. His deputy, Emmanuel Tetteh, also known as Mpata, was arrested last week. It is believed that information provided by Mpata might have helped to track down the elusive Atta Ayi.

Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Kofi Boakye says with the arrest of Atta Ayi and his gang ga whole generation of armed robbers has been broken up. Now, he says, the police can now concentrate on tracking a new up and coming but less-hardened armed robbers.

An Accra High Court has sentenced Aryee Ayittey alias Ataa Ayi and three others to one hundred and thirty nine (139) years in Prison with hard labour. The Court presided over by Justice Baffoe Bonney sentenced Ataa Ayi to 70 years while Samuel Kweku Anane, alias Sammy Tugah, Roger Kobla Agbodoga, alias Rojay and Raymond Ameh, received 69 years each.
Atta Ayi who was described by the police as the nation's most notorious bandit had a high price tag placed on his head by the police. His whereabouts before he was captured prompted the largest manhunt in the nation's crime history, with expensive billboards, bearing his portrait, mounted in five of the ten regions of the country. Though they pleaded not guilty, the court found them guilty of conspiracy and robbery. The case for the prosecution was that on October 14, 2003, Mr Bernard Boadi Agyeman, Managing Director of Prism Consult Limited, sent one of his workers, Ilaisu Mamudi, to cash a cheque for 70 million cedis from the Op eibea House branch of the Standard Chartered Bank, near Kotoka International Airport.