Kumasi, March 9, GNA - A Kumasi Circuit Court on Tuesday sentenced a 25-year-old second hand cloth seller to five years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing GH¢2,000.00 belonging to another trader. Yaw Opoku, pleaded guilty and asked the court to deal leniently with him since he was the breadwinner of his family. Police Chief Inspector Rejoice Sumatu told the Court presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Amoh-Yartey that the complainant, Margaret Boafo, trades in Ash-Foam mattresses at Atonsu-Monaco in Kumasi. On March 4, at about 0900 hours, the complainant, left her shop and GH¢1,000.00 sales she had made at the time in the care of her daughter, Esther Adarkwa.
Esther made additional sales of GH¢1,000 and this brought the total to GH¢2,000.00 and kept the money in a drawer. The prosecution said later in the afternoon, Opoku sneaked into the shop and stole the money as the lady dozed off. Before the convict could escape, Esther woke up and on seeing him became suspicious.
She instinctively opened the drawer and found that the money kept there was missing. She raised the alarm to attract passersby who helped to arrest Opoku and handed him over to the police. The police retrieved GH¢135.00 him and he claimed the rest of the money fell while being chased by the mob.
