Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 11 August 2010

Source: GNA

Hardened criminal nabbed by Aflao Police

Aflao, Aug 11, GNA - Moses Wellington, 19, a notorious criminal on the police wanted list in the Volta Region has been arrested by the police at Aflao.

Colleagues of the suspect, who allegedly became fed up of his criminal life, gave him up.

Mr. Daniel Dansi, Aflao District Police Crime Officer, told the Ghana News Agency, that one Mr Adam Pate, a British and his Ghanaian wife, Eunice Omedu-Dunyo, resident in Egypt, came on holidays in Ghana and on July 27 and lodged at Hotel Makavo.

He said Wellington trailed the couple and took note of their hotel room number.

Mr. Dzansi said the suspect returned at about midnight, scaled the hotel wall and gained access the couple's room through a window.

Wellington stole a bag containing a laptop and a charger, a digital camera, a video recorder, a cell phone, four new and old British and Ghanaian passports, a marriage certificate, some Ghanaian and foreign currencies amounting to about GHC1,000.00 and other documents.

The following morning the couple reported the incident to the management of the hotel who informed the police.

Mr. Dzansi said police investigations led to the arrest of Wellington upon tip off the same day and the laptop, the camera, cell phone and the passports, identified by the couples, retrieved from his room.

He said the suspect admitted the crime and claimed he burnt the couple's marriage certificate and other documents, gave the recorder to a friend, shared part of the currencies among friends and had personally finished dissipating the rest.

Wellington, who has since been arranged before an Aflao Circuit Court, pleaded not guilty to the charge of unlawful entry but guilty to stealing.

The court, presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri, has convicted him on the stealing charge but deferred sentence till the trial for unlawful entry run its full course and remanded him into prison custody.

Wellington has been handed over to the police at Sogakorpe where he is also wanted by the circuit court. He is also wanted by the police at Dabala, Abor and Akatsi.