Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 8 February 2005

Source: GNA

Court convicts Fisherman for stealing

Accra Feb. 8, GNA- A 32 -year-old Fisherman on Tuesday threw an Accra District Magistrate Court into laughter when he claimed he did not know how he arrived at Okaishie to steal eight pieces of ladies blouses worth 200,000 cedis.

Adjei pleaded guilty to stealing and attributed his actions to the work of the devil.

"I would like to plead with the court to deal leniently with me," he said, but the court convicted him to three months imprisonment with hard labour and ordered that the stolen items should be retrieved and return to the complainant.

Police Sergeant Jubiok Michael told the court that Yaa Pokuaa the complainant arrived at 0500 hours on February 2, this year, to display her wares.

He said Adjei posed as a traveller who needed some goods to buy and therefore assisted Madam Pokuaa to untie her wares and took advantage of the poor visibility in the market at the early hours of the day, to steal the items, which he concealed in a black polythene bag. Adjei who offered to purchase the rest of blouses at a cheaper price, feign anger and decided to leave but luck run out on him when a police officer on duty confronted him on the items he had concealed in the black polytene bag.

Adjei abandoned the polytene bag and took to his heels but was apprehended.

He admitted stealing the blouses but pleaded for leniency.