A 21-year-old man, Kwaku Richard alias Abeku, from Droboso in the Wenchi municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region, has been jailed two years by a Wenchi magistrate court, presided over by Vivian Yamusa.
Richard, who claimed to be a mobile phone repairer, was charged with stealing three mobile phones valued at GH¢1,060 when he appeared before the court.
Prosecuting, Detective Inspector Victor Samadai told the court that the complainants in the case are Adams Mohammed and Dauda Adams. According to the prosecutor, the complainants who are friends, reported to the police that they put their three mobile phones on charge at Droboso in the presence of Kwaku Richard and went to bed.
He said at about 4:30 am the following day, they woke up to realize that the phones were not on charge.
Upon their investigation, Detective Inspector Samadai posited, Adams Mohammed and Dauda Adams realized that the phones had been stolen by Richard and so arrested him and sent him to the police. Further police investigations proved that the suspect indeed stole the phones and so was charged with stealing and brought before the court.
Upon seeing Richard, the judge became surprised because according to her, he (Richard) was pardoned by the same court last December only to see him back in the same court in less than two weeks.
Justice Vivian Yamusa, upon hearing the charge, quickly sentenced the convict to four years’ imprisonment term, but due to excessive pleading by the accused, the judge reduced the sentence to two years.
Court officials say Richard was the last person to be pardoned to close the year 2017, and were surprised to see him back, and being the first person to be jailed by the same court in 2018.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Wenchi
danielyaodayee@yahoo.com