A 37-year-old self-acclaimed welder, Bright Agra, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment the Hohoe Circuit Court on two different counts of stealing.

According to Prosecution, Agra who is also an ex-convict, currently had three similar cases pending before the Court.

The convict reappeared in Court on January 4 this year for his plea to be taken after his first appearance on December 13, 2023, where he was remanded into prison custody on the Prosecutor’s appeal.

Agra pleaded guilty to the charges in the Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey and explained that his family had already paid the complainants for the stolen items, but the complainants denied receiving any money.

Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, Prosecuting, said the convict was one of the miscreants breaking into people’s buildings, stores and warehouses in the community.

He said the complainants were traders while the convict claimed to be a welder.

Chief Inspector Aziati said on Monday December 4, 2023 the first complainant’s car loaded with some

assorted soft drinks developed a fault and was taken to a fitting shop in Hohoe for repairs.

He said the mechanics could not finish repair works on the car hence left it for the next day for continuation.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the following day, it was detected that some of the drinks together with a brand new car battery kept in the car were stolen.

He said on December 7, the Volta North Regional Police Intelligence Directorate acting on intelligence came to the realisation that the convict had the stolen items in his possession.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict was arrested and during a search conducted in his place of abode, some assorted soft drinks were found.

He said the police also found eight baskets of smoked fish in a garden close to the convict’s house.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict was brought to the Police Regional Headquarters with the items.

He said the first complainant identified the drinks as among items stolen from his car while the second complainant also came and identified the fish as among 90 baskets of fish stolen from a warehouse in the Hohoe market during the night between December 4 and 5, 2023.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the second complainant said she brought the fish at the warehouse on December 4 and left for Dzodze only to be called the following day that the warehouse was broken into and the fish stolen.

He said a witness in the case said on December 7 at about 0530 hours, the convict was in possession of an engine head and a speaker asked for a lift to his house.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict admitted stealing the drinks from the complainant’s car at the fitting shop but denied knowledge of the fish.

He said the convict also admitted stealing an engine head and speaker whose owners were currently unknown.