Phone thieves jailed 24 Years

Kumasi Sept.11, GNA- Two young men aged 19 and 18 have been jailed eight years each by a Kumasi Circuit Court for stealing assorted mobile phones and cash worth 3,100GH=A2 (=A231million) belonging to one Clement Ayitey.

Abubakar Sadik, 19, carpenter and Kwasi Boateng, 18, shoeshine Boy, were charged with conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing. Their accomplice, Alex Owusu, an auto electrician also 18 was also sentenced to eight years imprisonment in hard labour for dishonestly receiving the phones they stole.

They pleaded guilty and were convicted on their own plea. In addition, the cost of the phones would be paid to the complainant and in default the two would serve a-three- year jail term whilst the latter would serve one year in hard labour. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour Kyei told the court presided over by Mr. R.M. Kogyapwah, that the complainant, a phone dealer lives at New Suame where his phone shop is located and Sadik alias "JJ" as well as Boateng reside at Tarkwa-Maakro and Race Course respectively.

She said on August 20, this year, at 1200 hours, Sadik and Boateng broke into the shop through the roof and made away with 12 assorted mobile phones worth 1,600GH=A2 (16 Million cedis) plus a cash of 1,500GH=A2 (15million cedis) which was kept in a box at the shop. Chief Inspector Baffour Kyei said they then took the booty to the room of Owusu, a neighbour of Boateng where they shared them. They were arrested after a complaint was lodged at the Suame police station and were charged after investigations.