Three jailed for fuel theft

The Winneba Magistrate’s Court has sentenced three men to a total of 12 months in hard labour for conniving and stealing 20 gallons of diesel valued at GHC1,800.00; the property of Vodafone Ghana.

Isaiah Donkor ,37, a filling station pump attendant at Agona Swedru; Moses Ampomah , 24, a security guard at the Winneba Branch of Vodafone; and Ampomah Abubakari, a taxi driver based at Agona Swedru, all pleaded guilty.

The Court, presided over by Mr. Alexander Oworae, sentenced Donkor to three months imprisonment -Ampomah six months; and Abubakari - three months.

Prosecuting, Detective Police Inspector Peter Agbelie said the complainant was an engineer with the Vodafone at Winneba, while Donkor, the first accused, was a native of Agona Swedru, Ampomah - a native of Assin Fosu, and Abubakari, a native of Saltpond.

The prosecution said, on March 13, at about 2330 hours, the three persons were arrested by the Police for stealing the said gallons of diesel from the company’s reserved fuel tank at Winneba.

He stated that after their operation, they parked 10 gallons of the diesel into Abubakari’s Hyundai Accent Taxi Cab with registration N0. WR 765-10 and proceeded to send them to Agona Swedru.

Detective Inspector Agbelie said the Taxi Cab, driven by Abubakari, was, however, intercepted by Police at New Winneba and when a search was conducted the gallons containing diesel were found.

Inspector Agblie said when Abubakari was arrested; he mentioned Donkor and Ampomah as having given them to him to be sent to Agona Swedru.

Abubakari then led the Police to arrest his accomplices and thereafter with the Police, they went to retrieve the remaining 10 gallons,

They had hidden them in the yard of the Vodafone’s office at Winneba, where they carried out their operation, the prosecution said.

They were, consequently, prosecuted, while the taxi cab was impounded.