Man Jailed 12 Years For Stealing

For stealing items worth GH₵5,640, a Kumasi Circuit Court has convicted a 27-year-old unemployed man to a total of 12 years in hard labour. Kwadwo Poku, the convict, pleaded guilty to all the four counts of conspiracy to commit crime, causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry, and stealing. The court, presided over by Mrs Afua Adu-Amankwah, convicted him on his plea and sentenced him accordingly. His accomplice, Akwasi Badu, 28, footballer, who was charged for dishonestly receiving, was granted bail in the sum of GH₵10,000 with a surety and case adjourned to May 21. Though he pleaded guilty with explanation to the count of dishonestly receiving, the judge entered a plea of not guilty for him following his explanation. He bought the laptop at a cost of GH₵150 and the DVD player at GH₵35. He said though he knew the cost of the items were below the market price, he was moved by the plea of Poku that he needed the money to seek medical care for his leg. He said he did not know that the items were stolen. However, two others, whose names were given as Nana Yaw and Kwabena Arhin, are at large. Poku was said to have broken into the house of the one Adwoa Birago, the complainant, in her absence. He managed to damage her burglar proof and made away with her Toshiba laptop, iPad, wrist watch and DVD player. Presenting the facts, Inspector Daniel Opoku told the court that the complainant was a business woman and resident of Nsenie while the convict was unemployed and resident of Kentikrono. He said on April 1 this year, Birago returned home at about 8pm only to realise that her house has been broken into and the items listed above stolen. According to him, the following day, a witness in the case informed the complainant that the previous day at about 12.30pm, he saw the convict jumping over the fence wall and confronted him. He said the convict admitted the offence and told the witness that he has hidden the items somewhere. On April 18, 2014, he said the convict was arrested in another stealing case and detained by the KNUST Police. He said when the witness got wind of the information, he informed the complainant, who also rushed to the police station with the witness, who identified the convict as the one who broke into the house and stole the items. Poku admitted the offence, and in his caution statement to the police, he mentioned Badu as the one who bought the laptop and the DVD player from him and led the police to arrest him at Amakom.