Welder sentenced to 7yrs imprisonment

A 31 year- old welder, Rexford Agyapong has been handed a seven year jail sentence for stealing Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) service wires at the cost of GH¢ 6,000,00 .

His accomplice, a 41 year old scrap dealer, Paul Aben, has been given a GH¢10,000.00 bail with one surety by the Mpreaso Circuit Court.

Agyapong was convicted on his own plea of guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.

The court presided over by Justice Mariam Sellah Snare granted bail to Aben upon pleading not guilty on three counts of conspiracy to commit crime, abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving.

Stating the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Benjamin Brew stated that, the victims are residents and natives of Kwahu Pepease and Abetifi respectively.

According to him, Agyapong resides both in Accra and Abetifi whiles Aben resides in Accra.

He said between the months of November, 2015 and January, 2016, there were series of theft cases of electrical cables within the Kwahu East District.

According to Chief Inspector Brew, luck run out for Agyapong when upon a tip off, the Abetifi Police impounded him at Nkawkaw transporting some items in a sack suspected to be stolen items.

A search was conducted on him, which revealed some quantities of burnt cable wires concealed in the sack together with pliers.

The prosecutor noted that upon further interrogation Agyapong claimed ownership of the cable wires and mentioned one, Paul Aben as the one who contracted and initiated him into the cutting and stealing of electrical cable in 2009.

Chief Inspector Brew said, an additional quantity of cable wires concealed in a sack was retrieved at his residence at Dome, a suburb of Abetifi.

He said Agyapong led the police to Agbogbloshie market in Accra where he identified Aben as his accomplice.

Aben was then arrested and he admitted to have received only one consignment of electrical cables from Agyapong, which he paid a sum of GH¢120.00.

According to the Prosecutor, Aben also mentioned one Kassim who is currently on the run as a co-recipient.

Aben is to reappear before the court on 24th February, 2016.