Accra, March 30, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra on Friday descended heavily on a cell phone thief when it handed down a 15-year jail term on him for snatching the cell phone of a police officer. Sumaila Haruna, a trader, pleaded not guilty but at the end of the trial the court found him guilty of conspiracy, stealing and causing unlawful damage and sentenced him accordingly. His accomplice Jafaru is at large.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Abavelim said on March 6, last year, Detective Inspector A.J. Kodua of the Organised Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service who was driving from Palm Wine Junction thorough Trade Fair to Burma Camp picked a call while there was a traffic jam.

The prosecution said suddenly two people who were riding a motorbike between vehicles rode to his car, snatched his phone and fled. Startled by the action, the Police officer lost control and ran into a vehicle. Inspector Kodua made a report to the Police while he repaired the damaged vehicle at the cost of 15 million cedis. On April 24, last year investigations led to the arrest of Haruna who admitted the offence saying on that day, he was riding the motorbike while Jafaru snatched the phone.

Haruna said he received 300,000 cedis as his share of the booty.