Man jailed 4 years for stealing Indomie, chocolate

Benjamin Damfo, 25, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour by the Assin fosu District Court for stealing.

He allegedly stole noodles, diapers and beverages (This Way Chocolate) from the shop of a wife of a Police Officer at Assin Ofosu in the Central Region.

The District Court presided over by Samuel Nti charged Benjamin with stealing and unlawful entry for breaking into a shop belonging to Mrs. Dora Kwartey, wife of a Police Officer on 12th June. The suspect made away with diapers, noodles and beverages.

Briefing the court, Chief Prosecutor, Sergeant Gilbert Oduro Wayango said the suspect has been arrested on several occasions for “misdemeanours” at the Assin Fosu police barracks.

The prosecutor told the court that, Benjamin just finished serving one -year jail term for stealing safety boots and a gas cylinder belonging to one Lance Corporal Godwin Dotsey from the same police quarters.

Sergeant Oduro prayed the court to give a severe punishment for the suspect to be properly reformed.

Sharing his thoughts on the issue, human rights lawyer, Francis Sosu Xaxier said Ghana’s 1960 criminal justice system is outmoded and need to be amended to suit modern trend of criminal justice.

He said such petty crimes need minimal punishments like community service for a couple of months.

“These lapses in the law make all second degree cases appear the same as misdemeanours; the law stipulates that a suspect who disposes a man of his belonging like a car or a loaf of bread is given the same punishment as the one who commits a second degree felony,” the lawyer said.

Lawyer Sosu said the lapses in the justice system make the courts deliver injustice instead of justice.

The suspect was sentenced on Wednesday.