An Accra Circuit Court last Friday jailed a 43-year-old computer technician for one year for stealing from his dad and forging official documents.

The accused, Francis Wiekin Bening, had pleaded guilty to the charges of forgery of documents and stealing.

The trial judge, Aboakye Tandoh, in his ruling, stated that the pleas of State Attorneys Augustine Gyamfi and Nii Ayibortey for leniency could not be taken.

He therefore sentenced the suspect to one year’s imprisonment for stealing from his father, Raymond Bagulo Bening, a lecturer.

Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A.A. Yirenkyi said Francis Wiekin Bening is a computer technician and the eldest son of the complainant.

He said an alleged accomplice of the suspect, Jerry Kwawu, is an estate developer and that the suspect, his accomplice and his dad reside at Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra.

According to him, on June 3 this year the complainant was alerted by his bank, Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), that a cheque with face value of GHc 4,000, dated June 2, 2015 with a forged signature, had been presented for payment by suspect Kwawu.

He said the complainant, upon receiving the information, quickly lodged a complaint at the Tesano Police Station, adding that it was later discovered that other cheques had as well been stolen from the complainant’s cheque book.

The prosecutor further averred that the complainant followed up to the bank and it was revealed that some forged cheques had been used to withdraw various sums of money, totalling GHc 25,500, from his account.

He said the stolen cash was credited to Jerry Kwawu’s bank account with Ecobank and that of his wife, Joyce Atakpi Adzo, at the same GCB.

According to ASP Yirenkyi, investigations showed that Francis Wiekin Bening stole his father’s cheques and forged his (father’s) signature for the bank to credit the account of his accomplice who is on bail.

He said the two were later arrested and admitted the offences but pleaded for forgiveness.