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Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has defended the 70-year prison sentence he handed to Ghana’s most notorious armed robber, Ayi Ayeetey, popularly known as Ataa Ayi, describing it as a necessary decision to ensure justice and protect public safety.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie recalled the high-profile case from what he described as his “youthful days” on the bench. He explained that while sentencing guidelines exist to guide judicial discretion, judges must sometimes go beyond them when the severity of a crime demands it.
“The judges and magistrates are trained; they have sentencing guidelines,” he said. “But sometimes they have to go beyond them. In my youthful days, I gave somebody 70 years — Ataa Ayi.”
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie explained that his decision was influenced by both the gravity of Ataa Ayi’s crimes and concerns about public safety.
“I gave him 70 years, and what I told myself was that if Ataa Ayi was given 30 years and he came back, my family would be the first he would attack. So by the time he comes back after 70 years, I’ll be dead and gone,” he said humorously.
The nominee stressed that sentencing must strike a balance between justice, deterrence, and the protection of society, adding that judges are sometimes faced with difficult decisions that go beyond standard guidelines.
Background
Ataa Ayi, once described as Ghana’s most dangerous criminal, led one of the country’s most feared armed robbery gangs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His group terrorised residents in Accra and surrounding areas, robbing victims at gunpoint and making away with cars, cash, jewellery, and other valuables.
His reign of terror triggered one of the largest police manhunts in Ghana’s history, with law enforcement mounting billboards bearing his image across several regions. After months of pursuit, he was arrested in Teshie Tsui Bleo, a suburb of Accra, alongside his girlfriend, who was suspected of being an accomplice.
In 2005, Ataa Ayi was convicted on multiple counts of armed robbery and related offences and sentenced to 70 years’ imprisonment. His arrest and conviction were widely hailed as a major breakthrough in Ghana’s fight against violent crime.