Mankranso (Ash.), June 10, GNA - The Mankranso District Magistrate Court has sentenced a 23 year-old farmer at Ankaase near Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North District, Kwabena Twumasi, to six months imprisonment for stealing dried cocoa beans belonging to another farmer. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

Police Chief Inspector Prosper Yao Aheto, told the court, presided over by Mr Frank Owusu Afriyie, that the complainant, Mr Bismark Mensah is a cocoa farmer at Ankaase. He said on June 3, he detected that part of dried cocoa beans he had heaped on a drying mat had been pilfered.

Mr Mensah therefore, alerted Purchasing Clerks of the various Licensed Cocoa Buying Companies (LBCs') to be on the look out and apprehend anyone who they knew did not have cocoa farm but would attempt to sell cocoa beans to them. He said on the evening of that same day, Twumasi, attempted selling the stolen cocoa to one of the Clerks who gave him out. He was consequently handed over to the police and admitted committing the offence in his caution statement.