Court jails slippers thief eight years

Paul Osei Dankwa, a 20-year-old barber, who stole 100 pieces of locally-manufactured slippers, valued 2,800 Ghana Cedis, has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

He pleaded guilty, and the court accordingly convicted him on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Edward Paddy, told the court, presided by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante, that the complainant, Stephen Sambiah, is a footwear dealer at Tarkwa, while the accused person resides at Brahabebome, a suburb of Tarkwa.

Chief Inspector Paddy said, on February 4, while Sambiah was in Kumasi, he had information from a witness in the case that someone has stolen his fertilizer sack containing 100 pairs of locally-made slippers.

The prosecution said Sambiah quickly rushed to Tarkwa, and on February 6, saw the accused person offering some of the slippers for sale at Agona Nkwanta.

Chief Inspector Paddy said Sambiah suspected that the accused person was selling his stolen slippers, and alerted the Agona Nkwanta Police who arrested Dankwa.

He said the Agona Nkwanta Police later handed him over to the Tarkwa Railways Police where Sabiah had earlier made a formal complaint.

Chief Inspector Paddy said while the case was been investigated, the accused person led the Police to Brahabebome where 36 pairs of the stolen slippers were retrieved.

He added that the accused person admitted the offence in his cautioned statement, and mentioned one Kwakye, now at large, as his accomplice.