Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 21 April 2004

Source: GNA

Labourer fined for stealing palm fruits

Sekondi, April 20 GNA - Yaw Nketiah, a 29-year-old labourer was on Tuesday fined 500,000 cedis by a District Magistrates' Court at Sekondi for stealing palm fruit at the Adum Banso Estate of the Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP).

The accused, who pleaded guilty to the charge, would in default, serve six months imprisonment in hard labour. Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Andam Okyere said, there were a series of theft of palm fruits at the BOPP's plantation at Adum Banso where the accused lived.

He said the company therefore intensified its security patrol at the plantation and at about 20 hours on April 15 this year, security guards met Nketiah carrying a fertilizer sack in the plantation heading towards Adum Banso.

Sergeant Okyere said when the sack was searched, a quantity of palm fruits was found in it. He said the accused was arrested and sent to the Police Station together with the palm fruits and admitted committing the offence in his statement to the Police.