Farmer steals cassava from Reverend Minister's farm

Akyem Swedru (E/R), July 19, GNA - The Akyem Swedru Circuit Court on Wednesday, sentenced Augustine Gyimah, 29, to five years imprisonment for stealing cassava valued at about 200,000 cedis. Gyimah, who stole from a farm belonging to a 73-year-old Reverend Minister, is said to have gone to prison twice on similar theft cases and was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Charles N. Quaye told the court presided over by Mr Edward Kwame Bosompem Apenkwah that, both the complainant, who was a retired Rev. Minister of the Methodist Church of Ghana and the convict, a farmer lived at Akyem Swedru. He said the complainant realised that someone had been stealing foodstuffs from his farm and alerted people farming in the area to be on the lookout for the culprit.

On July 16 at about 0800 hours, Mr Kwadwo Awuku, a palm wine tapper saw Gyimah uprooting cassava from the complainant's farm, and arrested him to the Rev. Minister's house.

The prosecution said Gyimah managed to escape but was arrested later in the day and handed over to the police.