A Pastor who stole a pump action shotgun belonging to an Architect has been sentenced to a fine of GHC 3,500 by an Accra Circuit Court.
Jospeh Owusu Annor who was found guilty on the charge of stealing at the end of the trial, would in default serve a two year jail term.
The court presided over by Adelaide Abui Kaddey further ordered Annor to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for two years.
The court indicated that it took into consideration the fact that Annor had issues with his sight and he had been in custody for the past seven months.
The accused had earlier completed serving a jail term on the charges of stealing in the year 2018.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim said the complainant Joseph Kojo Mamphey resides at Osu in Accra whiles Annor resides at Weija in Accra.
Chief Inspector Ayim said the complainant owns a company known as Mamphey Developers Limited at Osu and Annor was employed as a company Pastor in order to get something for living after Annor had approached the complainant for financial help.
Prosecution said during 2016, the complainant detected a theft of an amount and his pump action gun as well as receipts covering it from his office, however he noticed that his office was however not broken into.
The prosecution said due to the theft, the complainant assembled his workers including the accused and questioned them about the missing cash, the gun and the receipts of the pump action gun.
They all denied the theft.
Chief Inspector Ayim said somewhere in 2014, the accused was involved in a land case at Weija and was arrested with a pump action gun registered in his name.
Prosecution said during the trial of the accused, the pump action gun was tendered by an investigator as the gun Annor used in harassing people in the area.
The complainant who was present at the trial, asked Annor how he came by the gun where he told the complainant that the said gun belong to his sister who was domiciled in the United States of America.
Prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the Police over the missing gun and accused was arrested where he produced documents covering the gun.
The prosecution said the complainant also produced documents of his missing gun.
According to the prosecution both documents were found to be the same.
However, the prosecution said investigations revealed that the complainant’s missing gun was registered at Nima Police Station in the year 2008 with registration number AAA/273/08 whereas the accused’s gun was registered at the Ministries Police Station in the year 2014 with registration number AAY836514.
Prosecution said Annor in his cautioned statement admitted having stolen the gun at the complainant’s office.
GNA