Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 21 April 2020

Source: GNA

Spare parts robber convicted

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An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Prosper Akrong, a driver, and Osuman Ahmed, a trader, to a day’s imprisonment each for stealing spare parts.

In addition to the imprisonment, the Court, presided over by Mrs Priscilla Dapaah Mireku, also fined each GH¢600.00 or in default spend a month each in prison.

The Prosecutor told the Court that Akrong, on the April 13, at Teshie in Accra, dishonestly received an accelerator cable, value unknown, which he knew to have been obtained through stealing.

On the part of Ahmed, Prosecutor said the convict, on the same April 13, at Teshie in Accra, dishonestly received a quantity of boxes containing crank shaft and clutch units, value unknown, which he knew to have been obtained or appropriated by means of crime, to wit stealing.

The Court gave the two convicts a minimal sentence and fine to help decongest the prisons as part of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

Akrong and Ahmed had each pleaded guilty to dishonestly receiving and they were convicted on their own plea.

Two of their accomplices, only named as Ablor and ‘Don’t Rush,’ are currently on the run.

Police Inspector Mabel Atsu told the Court that the complainants were Police Officers stationed at Teshie where the convicts resided.

She said on April 13, this year, at about 1330 hours, the policemen were on patrol duty when they spotted Akrong and Ahmed carrying motorbike spare parts.

She said when they saw the policemen approaching them the convicts abandoned the items and took to their heels but they managed to arrest Akrong.

Inspector Atsu said the policemen took Akrong back to where they dumped the stolen items and upon interrogation, he said the items belonged to Ahmed, Ablor and ‘Don’t Rush’.

She said on the same day, Akrong led the police to Ahemd’s house, where they found more of the stolen goods in his room.

They denied the offence in their caution statements and pointed to Ablor and ‘Don’t Rush’ as the owners but efforts made by police to get them failed.