Goat thief jailed for threatening lives

Wa, July 16, GNA - The Wa circuit court has sentenced a 35-year old farmer, Bawulo Nababare, to a five-year jail term for stealing seven nanny goats and threatening to shoot members of a search party organised to look for the animals.

He pleaded guilty to stealing, possessing fire arms without authority and threatening to kill, when he appeared before the court. Chief Inspector Paul Ansu Frimpong told the court, presided over by Mr Mohammed Mustapha that the convict lived at Tampoe near Jirapa while the complainant, Boye Zaato, is also a farmer at Mwinikyeri, a farming community also near Jirapa.

He said on July 11, this year, the complainant tethered his animals to a tree behind his house to prevent them from destroying crops in nearby farms.

The prosecutor said at about 4.30 pm the same day, Zaato sent his children to go for the animals but they returned to inform their father that the goats could not be found.

He said a search party was organised to trace the lost animals and the group found the goats with the accused.

According to Chief Inspector Frimpong, when he was questioned as to how he came by the goats, he pulled up a locally made pistol, opened its chamber, loaded it with a live cartridge and threatened to kill members of the searching party.

He was, however, overpowered and handed over to the police for investigations to be conducted and prosecution. The judge ordered the police to destroy the weapon.