Court jails trader for stealing mobile phones

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 19-year-old trader to six months imprisonment in hard labour for stealing assorted phones valued GH¢48,000.00.

The Court also ordered Fred Dudome to pay a fine of GH¢2,400.00 and in default, he would serve another six months imprisonment, the sentences are to run concurrently.

Dudome was also charged with attempting to commit crime to wit causing unlawful harm, attempting to commit crime to wit stealing and possession of an instrument intended for unlawful entry.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences and was convicted on his own plea and sentenced accordingly.

Police Inspector Samuel Ahiabor told the Court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful that Mr Abraham Yeboah is the complainant in the case and the owner of the C.A Divine Phones around Fraga Oil near the Nkrumah Circle.

He said the complainant is a resident of Asylum Down, a suburb of Accra whilst Dudome, the convict is a trader, and lives at Adabraka.

The Prosecution said on August 19, 2019, at about 0730hours the complainant went to work and found that his shop had been broken into through the T&J ceiling with assorted phones valued about GH¢48,000.00 in addition to GH¢22,000.00 cash missing.

Inspector Ahiabor said a formal report was made to the police and on December 2, 2019, at about 0200hours, one Abdul Rashid, a witness in the case, saw the accused person sitting on the roof of the complainant’s shop and raised an alarm.

Prosecution said this attracted people to the scene which led to the arrest of the convict. He said a search on him revealed a backpack containing a carjack and a pair of scissors and he was later handed over to the Holy Gardens Police around the Nkrumah Circle.

The Prosecution said investigations revealed that Dudome stole the phones and cash which he confessed to in his cautioned statement.

Inspector Ahiabor said Dudome led police to a certain wooden structure at Odawna where he claimed to have kept the stolen items but a search at the place could not produce any of the stolen goods.

He said the accused later told the police that he had sold the phones to unknown persons at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

The prosecution said after investigations the accused was processed and put before the Court.