Goat thief in court

Asamankese, Sept. 6, GNA - A 65-year-old woman, who rears goats at Anweam in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region for her livelihood had the shock of her life when she woke up one morning to realise that her three goats were stolen.

Luckily for Madam Adwoa Semaglo, the suspected thief was arrested in a neighbouring community in the early hours of the same day, and was being arraigned.

Desmond Yaw Appiah, the suspect, pleaded guilty to stealing the three goats, valued at one million cedis and was thus convicted on his own plea but was remanded in prison custody until September 7, for his sentence.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector G. D. Bruce told the court that Anweam had been experiencing rampant theft of domestic animals. He said Appiah, who lived at Okumaning, arrived at Anweam on August 19 and slept on someone's verandah.

He said Appiah woke up about 0200 hours and went to Madam Semanglo's house, where he stole the animals and took them to Otumi, where a witness in the case confronted him. He said he was taking them to Kade.

But when the witness advanced towards Appiah, he abandoned the animals and took to his heels, the prosecutor said. The witness raised alarm and with the help of neighbours, a search party sought for him but Appiah changed his clothes and outwitted his pursuers. He was, however, later identified by someone, arrested and handed over to the police. Madam Semanglo later identified the animals as hers. Sept. 6, 05