The Nkawie Circuit Court has jailed a 48-year-old man two years in hard labour, for stealing a waste bin, belonging to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

Mohammed Rufai, caused a stir when he went on his knees in the dock in tears and begged the court for forgiveness after pleading guilty to the charge of stealing.

“Please, have mercy on me, I am not a thief, and I can say that to the glory of God. I found the bin on a refuse dump at the race course, and I thought it was discarded. I am the breadwinner of my family of four, please have mercy on me.”

Prosecuting, Inspector Stephen Amugbel, told the court presided by Mr. Michael Johnson Abbey, that on September 22, this year, Rufai was spotted by a KMA worker, Madam Eva Amoateng, at about 6.30pm, at Kejetia carrying a wastebin with KMA embossed on it.

The prosecution said the woman questioned Rufai about the dustbin but he ignored her.

Insp Amugbel said the worker raised the alarm and with the help of other people Rufai was arrested and handed over to the Assembly member of the area, who also took him to the police.

Mr. Okumah Nyame, the Public Relations Officer of the KMA, told the Ghanaian Times that the sentence by the court would serve as a deterrent to others in view of the fact that “we have been receiving reports of the bins being stolen”.

He said the KMA’s efforts to keep the metropolis clean was being thwarted by the sudden disappearance of wastebins, and appealed to the public to report theft of the bins to the assembly.