12 months for stealing mobile phone

Sekondi Dec.20 - GNA -A Sekondi District Magistrate's Court on Monday jailed Nana Yaw Boakye, a driver's mate, for 12 months in hard labour for stealing a Motorola mobile phone valued at one million cedis. Boakye pleaded not guilty to stealing.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Agnes Boafo, said on December 9, 2004, Edmund Agbeshie, a technician resident at Kweikuma near Sekondi hired a vehicle to convey his personal belongings to his new residence in the same area.

She said after discharging his belongings at his new home, Agbeshie found that his Motorola mobile phone was missing and confronted Boakye who was a driver's mate on the vehicle.

Inspector Boafo said the accused denied any knowledge about the phone and Agbeshie dialled the number of the mobile phone but there was no answer.

She said on December 9 this year, Agbeshie dialled the number again and this time, somebody responded.

Inspector Boafo said when Agbeshie told the respondent that the phone belonged to him, he replied that it was given to him by the accused. She said Agbeshie reported the matter to the Police and the accused was arrested and he admitted in his statement that he sold the phone to one Joe for 300,000 cedis.

Inspector Boafo said when Joe heard that the accused had been arrested, he ran away.

The court asked Agbeshie to institute civil action to let the accuse pay for the phone.