The Tarkwa Magistrate court has sentenced a 23-year-old porter, Emmanuel Koomson, to four years imprisonment for stealing the engine of a grinding machine used for small scale mining.

The convict pleaded guilty to the charge.

Prosecuting, Inspector Faustina Selestina Anaman told the court presided over by Madam Juliana Millicent Ocran that on November 29 the complainant, a small scale miner, placed two grinding machines and other items between Wassa Agona and Bonsa along the Tarkwa/Takoradi main road.

On December 2 the convict and one Kojo, who is now at large, stole one of the engines of the machine and sent it to a scrap dealer at Akoon to enable them sell it but the scrap dealer was not around.

She said on December 3 the complainant caused an announcement to be made at a local information center at Bonsa about his stolen items.

Inspector Anaman said on that same day while the convict was transporting the stolen item to the same scrap dealer’s shop a heated argument ensued between him and the taxi drive over the fare.

The Prosecutor said a passenger on board suspected the item to be stolen and asked the drive to send them to the police station where he was arrested.