Asamankese(E/R), July 24, GNA - A farmer who stole a quantity of plantain worth 50,000 cedis from another farmer's farm had been jailed three months in hard labour by the Asamankese Circuit Court.

Additionally, Kwabena Mensah, who pleaded guilty was fined 600,000 cedis or in default served additional six months in prison.

Police Inspector J.F. Idan, prosecuting told the court that the accused, who lived at Ekoase near Asamankese, stole the plantain from two farms at nearby Kwasiman.

The prosecutor said since farmers in the area had been experiencing rampant theft of plantain from their farms, on July 17, this year, a witness in the case who met Mensah carrying a sack full of plantain, became suspicious and when confronted he could not offer any tangible explanation.

Mensah was therefore, escorted to a nearby village and with the help of others, he was arrested and handed over to the Police at Asamankese who admitted in a cautioned statement that he stole the plantain from two farms.

When Mensah pleaded for mercy, the Judge, Mr S. S. Appiah, who described the accused as "a seasoned plantain thief" told him that it was wrong for a farmer to steal a colleague farmer's farm produce.