Twifo Praso (C/R), June 23 GNA - Stephen Kwame Agyin and Kingsford Baidoo, both workers of USSUKA Company Limited, pleaded guilty to stealing parts of a caterpillar belonging to their employers when they appeared before the Paraso District Magistrate's Court on Friday. The two pleaded guilty to stealing one cylinder head, five hydraulic pipes and one cooling tank of caterpillar belonging to the company and were granted 20 million cedis bail each with one surety to re-appear on June 26 for sentence.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr Joseph Blay said he was deferring sentencing to enable the Prosecution to furnish the Court with the value of the stolen items to facilitate the imposition of the commensurate punishment.

Prosecuting, Chief Police Inspector George Okine told the Court that two years ago, the company's caterpillar broke down while constructing a feeder road from Twifo Nyinase to link Twifo Adugyaa in the Twifo-Heman-Lower-Denkyira District. Prosecution said on June 6 2005, the accused persons removed the items from the broken down caterpillar under the pretext of repairing them.

Chief Inspector Okine said members of the Unit Committee at Nyinase became suspicious, arrested them and handed them over to the Police for prosecution.

In another development, the Court imposed a fine of 200,000 cedis on Kwame Kwarteng, a 20-year-old Farmer, from Twifo Moseaso, who pleaded guilty to causing damage to drinkables worth 137,000 cedis belonging to Mr Kofi Andoh at Moseaso. Kwarteng would go to prison for two months if he failed to pay the fine.

Mr Blay ordered Kwarteng to pay a compensation of 300,000 cedis to Mr Andoh or in default go in for two months' imprisonment. Court bonded Kwarteng to be of good behaviour for 12 months or in default serve three months in prison. The Magistrate issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kwabena Yeboah, his brother and accomplice, who is on the run.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector George Okine told the Court that on June 4 Kwarteng and Yeboah went to Mr Andoh's drinking bar at Moseaso and purchased some drinks. Prosecution said Kwarteng poured the left over of his drink on another customer and when Mr Andoh reprimanded him, he and Yeboah took offence and pounced on Mr Andoh and beat him up mercilessly. In the process, the Prosecution said during the attack they broke four bottles of Akpeteshie, five bottles of Coca Cola and one bottle of Schnapps, all worth 137,500 cedis.