Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 15 July 2004

Source: GNA

Mechanic jailed for stealing money

Tema, July 15, GNA - A Circuit Court 'B' in Tema jailed a 20-year-old motor mechanic for eight years for stealing 10,000 pounds sterling and 6,500 dollars from the car of a staff of Ghana Airways. Wisdom Konla Odonnu who broke into a car parked in a house in Community 12 in Tema pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The Court ordered Seth Mensah Dowedo, a 22-year-old electrician who pleaded not guilty for dishonestly receiving 150 dollars from Odonnu to refund the amount.

In addition, he was sentenced to a fine of 200,000 cedis or six months imprisonment in default.

Chief Inspector of police Alice Gyamfi told the Court that in the night of May 21 Mr Tony Amuzu, the complainant parked his car in front of his house and and released the following morning that the windscreen of the vehicle had been smashed and the money stolen.

The complainant reported the matter to police and on May 24, the convict was arrested at Community One in the city, trying to change the 6,500 dollars into cedis.

Chief Insp Gyamfi said Odonnu admitted the offence and said he used part of the money to buy mattress, a cylinder (bottle) and a gas cooker and mentioned one Kojo, now at large as his accomplice.

He led the police to his house where 7,535 pounds sterling, 3,000 dollars, 2.8 million cedis being part of the stolen money were retrieved as well as the items bought.