Galamsey operator gets 6 years for stealing

A 38 year-old small scale miner (galamsey operator), Kofi Essoun has been sentenced to six years imprisonment in hard labour by a Tarkwa Circuit Court for stealing.

The convict pleaded guilty for stealing 32- inch television set valued GHȼ1,500.00 Ghana cedis and a cash of GHȼ 3,000.00 Ghana cedis.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Edward Paddy told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo that the complainant Theophilus Aidoo is an electrician.

He said around 1400 hours on February 2, the complainant returned home from town and found out that his room has been broken into with his television set and the sum of money stolen.

Inspector Paddy said the complainant reported the matter to the police and also made announcement on a locally based radio station.

He said one Emmanuel Nketsia, a taxi driver heard about the theft case and quickly informed the complainant that at about 1145 hours on the said day, he picked a man at Tamso near Hotel D’ Hilda with a flat screen television set wrapped in a pink cloth.

The Prosecutor said on February 3, the accused was arrested at the Tarkwa Railway Station upon a tip-off and Mr Nketsia was able to identify him as the one he picked with the stolen item.

He said during investigation the accused mentioned one Papa Yankey who is now at large as his accomplice.

Inspector Paddy said the police retrieved the television set with cracks on the screen.