Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Source: GNA

Two jailed 44 months for stealing

Kumasi, March 21, GNA - A circuit court in Kumasi circuit has sentenced two young men to a total of 44 months for unlawful entry and stealing.

Osei Kofi and Leo Opoku Andoh, all aged 28, pleaded guilty to the charges and were given 20 and 24 months sentences respectively. In his defence, Osei Kofi told the court that he needed money to cure his asthma and that this led him to steal and that he did not sell the DVD he stole but pledged it for a paltry 380,000 cedis to a friend. Andoh said he needed the money to pay bills on his father's house in which he and his sister from whom he stole lived. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) William Awuvey told the court presided over by Mr Richard Kogyapowah that Osei Kofi is a loading boy while the complainant Gladys Owusu is a trader at Anloga where she and the accused all lived.

He said on January 16, this year, at about 11 am, the complainant locked her door and went out for a few minutes but returned to find out that someone had entered the room and made away with her DVD worth five million cedis.

DSP Awuvey said the complainant started her own investigations and in the course of the investigations suspected the accused and caused his arrest.

The prosecution said Andoh and his sister, Serwah Andoh, the complainant all lives in their father's house at Bomso. He said on January 5, this year, Leo entered his sister's room and stole her wristwatch, a perfume and an amount of three million cedis. DSP Awuvey said after stealing the money, Leo went into hiding until March 3 when he returned to the house and a formal report was made to the police who arrested him.