A 41-year-old farmer, Seth Kwasi Obeng, who invaded a plantain farm and harvested about GH¢30 worth of plantain has been sentenced 12 months in prison in hard labour by the Akim Swedru Circuit Court.
The court, presided over by Mr. Yaw Atta Sampong, sentenced Obeng, who admitted to harvesting the produce on Opanin Debrah’s farm. He, however, said it was his first time of stealing on the farm.
The prosecution had told the court that Opanin Debrah, 47, hailed from Akim Awisa and the convict was a native of Akim Amantia, but was based at Akim Oda Old Town.
He said in recent times Opanin Debrah had been experiencing thefts of plantain from his farm, situated at Atensua near Akim Awisa and when several attempts to arrest the culprit failed he decided to lay ambush.
The prosecution stated that on February 28, at about 0530 hours, Opanin Debrah and his wife, Madam Mary Debrah, caught Obeng who had harvested some of the plantain and had packed them in a sack.
He said when Obeng spotted the couple, he raised his cutlass to attack them, but Opanin Debrah dared him so Obeng abandoned the cutlass and took to his heels.
The prosecution said Obeng was given a hot chase and was arrested in a nearby palm plantation and was handed over to the Akim Swedru Police.**
