Judge urges Ghanaians to protect public property

Kumasi, July 25, GNA - Mrs Wilhelmina Hammond, a presiding judge of a Kumasi Circuit Court, has called on law enforcing agencies to deal ruthlessly with cable thieves to help stem the act, the upsurge of which is reportedly affecting the expansion project of the Ghana Telecommunications (GT).

She has also called on the public to demonstrate nationalism and patriotism by exposing or arresting culprits for action to be taken against them.

Mrs Hammond said this when she commenced the trial of two persons facing charges of stealing and abetment of stealing cables worth over 40 million cedis (GHC4,000) belonging to GT. Isaac Majeed, who was arrested with one Yaw, now on the run, by some public-spirited residents at Ahodwo in Kumasi while packing the cables into a sack, pleaded not guilty and has been placed in police custody to re-appear at a later date. Inusah Mohammed, an accomplice charged with abetment of the crime, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of 10 million cedis (GHC1,000).

Mrs Hammond commended the residents who helped to bring the culprits to book. She said, "Bad acts must be condemned rather than condoned and connived."