Kade, Aug 12, GNA - Kwame Korankye, who was recently released from prison after serving a term for stealing, was on Friday jailed 24 months in hard labour by the Kade District Magistrate’s Court for stealing.

Korankye, unemployed, pleaded guilty with explanation to a charge of conspiracy to steal palm oil.

His accomplice, whose name was only given as Adjei, is on the run and the court had issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Francis Cobbina, told the court that the two complainants Akua Pomaa and Akua Torkyo were palm oil refiners resident at Nkwantanang.

He said they refined palm oil at Nkwantanang and whenever they closed for the day, they poured the refined palm oil into containers and left them at the mill before going home.

On July 16, the convict and the accused went to one John Soga, a driver, and asked him to convey palm oil from Nkwantanang to Kade.

The driver told them he was tired and could not go but Adjei told him he would send Korankye at dawn to convey the palm oil and the driver agreed.

The prosecutor said on July 17 Korankye led the driver to the mill at Nkwantanang and conveyed a jerrican, a drum and five gallons of palm oil to Kade.

On reaching a spot near a filling station Korankye asked the driver to park so that he could collect money from Adjei to pay him before discharging the oil.

While the driver was waiting for Korankye, members of Kade Neighborhood Watch Committee who were on night patrol questioned him about the palm oil and he mentioned Korankye as the owner.

The men became suspicious and decided to wait till Korankye returned but he failed to turn up.

When the driver contacted him on phone he told him he could not return because of the pressure of the committee members.

The driver then got to know that the palm oil was stolen and therefore arranged with the men to lay ambush while he lured Korankye to his house for him to be arrested and they obliged.

The driver called him to meet him in his house and few minutes later he arrived and was arrested and handed over to the police).

The complainants went to the police station and identified the oil as theirs.