A Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced Albert Ankomah, a 24 -year-old small-scale miner, to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing.  

Ankomah, popularly known as ‘Paa Yaw or Simple,’ broke into two homes and made away with mobile phones and other household items.  

He pleaded guilty after being charged with causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry, and stealing.  

Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie told the court that Hayford and Godfred Addo, the complainants, who worked as driver and banker, respectively, resided in the same house at Wassa Bawdie, while Ankomah lived at Dompim, both in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality.  

He said on February 8, 2024, around 0200 hours, the first complainant woke up and detected that a thief had broken into his bedroom and stolen his IPhone 13 Promax, value GH¢ 9,000, his black backpack containing driver’s license and Ghana card valued GH ¢250, and cash amount of GH¢700.

She said on the same day the second complainant placed his Tecno Pop 2 power mobile phone, valued at GH ¢800, on charge on his veranda and retired to bed, but when he woke up around 0400 hours, the mobile phone had disappeared, in addition to two android chargers, value GHC100.00.  

The prosecutor said the complainants suspected Ankomah of being responsible and reported the theft to the Bawdie police.  

Later, at about 1830 hours, a witness in the case and some residents arrested Ankomah at Dompim, retrieved the Iphone 13 Promax from his room and handed him over to the Bawdie police.  

When the police conducted further checks on Ankomah’s room, they found one unserviceable and four serviceable mobile phones, and 32-inch Asano Television, Supt. Essel-Dadzie said.

Ankomah led the police to retrieve the stolen black backpack from a bush with the first complainant’s documents intact.  

While investigations were ongoing, the second complainant identified the Tecno Pop 2 power mobile phone from the exhibits at the police station.  

Hathia Ama Manu, the presiding judge, ordered the police to return the IPhone 13 pro max, Techno pop 2 mobile phones and the backpack to the complainants.