Farmer jailed 5 years for stealing cocoa beans

A 38-year-old farmer, Prince Kodua has been jailed for stealing GHC5,200 worth of cocoa beans from a cocoa merchant at Kokodei in the Ashanti Region.

He faced the penalty at the Bekwai Circuit Court after confessing to having stolen the beans which is contrary to section 124 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).

According to the prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Ofori, Kodua conspired with his wife, Akosua Achiaa, and sold back the cocoa beans to the owner, Akosua Fremah.

The complainant, Akosua Fremah is said to have employed Kodua to work in her cocoa drying shed six months ago as a labourer, the Daily Guide Newspaper reported.

Chief Inspector Ofori added that Akosua Fremah realised a decrease in her cocoa beans and asked Kodua if he knew why but he refuted her allegations.

He further disclosed that the complainant after an authentication exercise saw that, eight bags of cocoa beans worth GHC 5,200 was missing from the cocoa drying shed.

Kodua then sold the stolen beans to Akosua Fremah on the ploy that someone asked him (Kodua) to sell to her but suspicious of the conduct, Akosua Fremah asked Kodua to lead her to the farmer whose cocoa beans he claimed to have sold to her.

The complainant, Akosua Fremah then realised that the two bags of cocoa beans worth GHC 1,320 were her own beans that have been resold to her.

It was through that Kodua admitted to have stolen the beans from the cocoa merchant, Akosua Fremah, and was therefore arrested and jailed for 5 years.