Kumasi, July 7, GNA - Gabriel Asare, an 18-year-old shoe shine boy, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment in hard labour by a magistrate's court in Ashanti Town in Kumasi for stealing 36 yards of wax prints belonging to Janet Brenya, a trader. Asare, who also stole 83 new Ghana Cedis (830,000 cedis) from the complainant, was convicted on his own plea of guilty. Police Chief Inspector Alice Naami told the court presided over by Mr S K Achina that the complainant who lived at Nyankyereniase in Kumasi developed an acquaintance with the shoeshine boy who usually repaired her slippers for her.

She aid on June 21 this year, Asare took advantage of the absence of the complainant, broke into her room and stole the wax prints and the money and attempted to sell the wax prints to a witness in the case.

Inspector Naami said the witness who is a friend to the complainant became suspicious and as a result informed her. The prosecution said no sooner had the wax prints been shown to the complainant than she identified them as hers and proceeded home only to realize that her room had been broken into. She reported the incident to the police who arrested Asare and after investigations charged him with the offence.