Electrician jailed five years over theft

The Adentan Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced a 20-year-old electrician to five years of imprisonment for stealing electrical cables and standing fans.

Yussif Abdulai Masawudu pleaded guilty to all five counts of unlawful entry, unlawful damage, and stealing.

Sentencing is to run concurrently.

The second accused, Paul Akuffo, an electrical appliances seller at Opera Square in Accra, who was charged with dishonestly receiving stolen items, pleaded not guilty and was discharged by the court presided over by Mrs. Angela Attachie.

Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant, Wisdom Kwabena Posodua, is a 43-year-old electrical contractor, residing at Nanakrom, in Accra, while the convict is an electrician and a resident of Santeo.

The court heard that the complainant owns an electrical appliance shop at East Legon Hills, which was manned by his wife, a witness in the case.

The prosecution said the complainant reported to the police that thieves broke into the shop and stole electrical cables, standing fans worth GHC 21,800.00, and caused damage to roofing sheets and ceilings valued at GHC 1650.00.

Chief Inspector Lanyo said while the investigation was ongoing, the accused broke into the complainant's shop again through the roof.

The prosecution said that the accused again went to the shop and stole electrical cables, and on sensing danger, he threw the cables away and was arrested.

Chief Insp. Lanyo said the accused led the neighbours to retrieve a rice cooker, two Elbee fans and their blades, three LED panel lights, an electric iron, a pair of scissors, one drum of flexible PVC cables, and an extension cord.

He told the court that the accused was taken to the Lakeside Police Station.

Chief Inspector Lanyo said that the accused, in his cautionary statement, admitted that he broke into the complainant's shop and stole the items.

He indicated that the accused mentioned Akuffo as the one he sold the stolen items to.

Chief Insp. Lanyo said Akuffo was also arrested and, in his caution statement, admitted to having bought the stolen items from the convict but sold them to unknown persons.