Court jails farmer for stealing palm fruits

Kade, April 18, GNA - Emmanuel Martey, a farmer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in hard labour by the Kade District Magistrate court, for stealing a quantity of palm fruits valued at 500 Ghana cedis. Martey who faced a second charge of causing harm pleaded guilty to the theft but not guilty to causing harm. The court ordered him to pay a compensation of 300 Ghana cedis to the Ghana Oil Palm Development Company (GOPDC) for stealing their produce.

Martey would re-appear in court on May 11 to face the second charge. The court also issued a bench warrant for the arrest of one Akwasi who was named as Martey's accomplice who is at large. Prosecuting, Police Inspector Daniel Nartey said on July 5 last year, Martey and his accomplice stole the palm fruits from GOPDC plantation and hid them in their rooms. They were arrested by the company's security but they managed to escape.

Inspector Nartey said at about 2100 hours that day the two accused persons accused one Martey Noah for being the brain behind their arrest and therefore dragged him on the ground and inflicted cutlass wounds on him. Noah who was bleeding profusely managed to run to the GOPDC security check point to seek assistance. He was rushed to the St. Dominic Hospital at Akwatia for treatment. The accused persons went into hiding but on April 9, this year, the complainant met the accused at the Asasewa market and caused his arrest.