An illegal miner, John Kwasi Ayitey, 32, has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing one Binatone stabilizer , one decoder, two video decks ,one wrist watch and a necklace by the Tarkwa circuit court. He pleaded guilty.

Prosecuting Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that the complainant Kenneth Mensah is a licensed gold buyer who has his gold buying office at Akoon Nzemefokrom junction.

He said on the morning of January 21, the complainant’s workers reported for work and detected that the office had been broken into and the items stolen. Inspector Amponsah said the accused was suspected as he was seen loitering around the office a day before the incident.

He said the workers searched for the convict and in the course of the search they had a tip-off that he was about to travel to Takoradi.

The convict was then traced at the Takoradi lorry station where he was arrested in a taxi cab, carrying some of the items and was handed over to the police.

He admitted the offense and told the police that he had kept the remaining items in his room at Akoon but when the police went there nothing was found. He claimed his roommate, one Addy, might have bolted with the remaining items.