Ejisu (Ash), Sept. 14, GNA -A 32-year old ex-convict who was on Friday put before the Ejisu District court for causing damage, unlawful entry and stealing was sentenced to five years imprisonment in hard labour.

Kwame Owusu the convict, pleaded guilty to the charges. Police Inspector Nkansah Twumasi Ankrah told the court that, one Akosuah Fosuah a seamstress, owned a kiosk at Ejisu in which she sold minerals.

He said on August 24 this year, she went to her workplace only to realise that her kiosk had been broken into and her sewing machine, a quantity of materials she was sewing and six crates of minerals had been stolen.

Inspector Ankrah said the victim reported the theft to the police and that in the early hours of the next day the accused was arrested and some assorted drinks were found in his custody.

He said when the accused was questioned, he admitted stealing the items from a nearby kiosk and that while the police were escorting him to the police station, they met one Kofi Mensah, a driver who identified the accused and told the police that he conveyed him and some items and a sewing machine to Kumasi but the accused denied joining Mensah's vehicle that day.

Inspector Ankrah said the police therefore, accompanied the accused and Mensah, the driver to Kumasi where he showed the police where he discharged the items, but the accused again denied having come there with the driver.

He said, however, that upon persistent interrogation, the accused admitted breaking into the kiosk and mentioned one Ben as his accomplice and directed the police to the Kumasi central market and to one Adoli Frafra to whom he sold the items.

Inspector Ankrah said when police interrogated Adoli Frafra, he admitted buying the items and mentioned Ben as the one who introduced the accused to him as someone who had been organising funerals and was therefore selling excess minerals he bought for a funeral to defray the cost.

Meanwhile Ben is on the run and the police searching for him.