A circuit court at Juaso has sentenced an illegal gold miner, Nicholas Opare, to nine months imprisonment for stealing three bunches of plantain. He pleaded guilty to the crime.

Police Chief Inspector Joseph Obeng told the court presided over by Mr. Justice S.K. Sarpong Appiah that the complainant, Alberta Adutwumwaa, and the convict live in Konongo.

The prosecution said on July 10, the complainant detected that plantain had been stolen from her garden.

Chief Insp. Obeng said later that same day a witness in the case spotted Opare offering three bunches of plantain for sale.

He said when the witness asked Opare where he got the plantain from, he (Opare) became nervous and attempted to flee, but he was arrested by some on-lookers and handed over to the police. **