Kumasi, Feb. 8, GNA - A 27-year-old labourer, Kwabena Fosu, alias 'Gadafi', who broke into a mechanic shop at Amakom and made away with items valued at 2.2 million cedis, was on Monday sentenced to three years in jail in hard labour by a Kumasi circuit court.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing, unlawful entry, causing damage and resisting arrest.

Police Chief Inspector John Afful told the court, presided over by Mr Ernest Yao Obimpeh, that the complainant in the case, Mr Kwame Adu, an auto mechanic, on January 2, 2005, detected that his shop at Amakom had been broken into and some items including a spraying machine, vehicle jack and rechargeable lamp stolen.

He consequently made a formal report to the Oforikrom police. The prosecutor said the complainant later had a tip-off that some of his stolen items were on display for sale at the Asafo fitting shop. He said enquiries made by the complainant revealed Fosu as the source of the items.

The court heard that Fosu absconded when he was being escorted to the police station, but was re-arrested and later all the stolen items were retrieved from him.