Steel bender jailed four years for stealing

A 25-year-old steel bender who stole GHC 16,000 belonging to a contractor has been sentenced to four years imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court.

The money was to be used to pay workers including the accused who were working on a building project.

Jacob Koffie, after stealing the money went to Kpassa in the Oti Region and spent half of the money there.

Koffie charged with stealing, pleaded guilty before the court presided over by Mrs Christiana Cann convicted Koffie on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Jonas Laweh, narrated that Mr Francis Sakyi, the complainant, resides at East Legon, Accra whiles Koffie lives at Spintex, Accra.

Sergeant Laweh said the complainant secured a contract at Spintex and hired the services of workers including the accused, now convict.

The prosecution said on February 26, this year, the complainant brought GHC 16,000 to pay the workers after close of work.

He said the complainant, however, left for Dansoman to run other errands leaving the money in a bag at the Site.

According to the prosecution, when the complainant returned to the site, he noticed that the money was not in the bag and Koffie who was to be at the site was nowhere to be found.

The prosecution said this raised suspicion that he could be the one who had taken the money.

He said a report was made to the Police and Koffie was traced to Kpassa in the Oti Region where he was nabbed.

Mr Laweh said during interrogation Koffie admitted the offence and GHC8,000.00 was retrieved from him.