Rubber buyer fined GH¢2,040.00

A 38 year-old rubber buyer, Kwasi Tikua has been fined GH¢2,040.00 by the Tarkwa district court two for conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.

Tikua, who pleaded guilty to the charges, would in default serve 100 days in prison.

His accomplice, Francis Mensah, 28, unemployed, however pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Joseph Lartey, told the court presided over by Madam Magdalene Thompson, that the complainant Kwaku Quaidoo, a security coordinator at the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) lives at Tetrem, near Tarkwa with one of the accomplices in the case, Awotsi, who is on the run.

According to Sergeant Lartey, due to the rampant stealing of rubber cup lumps in the company's plantation, the complainant set spies and security guards to watch over the plantation.

He said on September 12, this year, at about 02:30 hours, the complainant had a phone call from one of the informants that some people were conveying rubber cup lumps from the firms division 4 plantation at Tetrem near Nsueam.

Sergeant Lartey said the complainant quickly deployed three night patrol guards and they laid ambush at the crime scene.

He said around 06:00 hours, the guards saw Tikua conveying the stolen items from where it had been kept in the bush to the road side.

The prosecutor said when Tikua and Mensah were arrested; the rubber cup lumps they had stolen weighted 120 kilograms valued at GH¢288.00.

He said the accused persons admitted that the stolen items were brought to the roadside by Awotsi.

Sergeant Lartey said the convict was arrested and sent to the Nsueam police station and during investigation he confirmed that Mensah took part in the crime.