A 40-year-old trader, Anastasia Ekudi, has been sentenced to six months in prison by the Hohoe Circuit Court after being found guilty of stealing an ‘Infinix Smart 6 Plus’ mobile phone worth GH₵1,200.
The court, presided over by Mr. Michael Johnson Abbey, delivered the verdict on December 15, 2023, after a full trial in which Ekudi, who initially pleaded not guilty, was convicted.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, provided details of the case, revealing that both the complainant and the convict were traders in the same area. The complainant operated a shop in front of her residence, selling provisions, and Ekudi was a regular customer at the shop.
According to Chief Inspector Aziati, the incident occurred on December 14, 2023. On that day, Ekudi visited the complainant’s house to purchase soap worth GH₵2.
The complainant escorted her to the shop, completed the transaction, and Ekudi then left. Shortly after, the complainant realized that her Infinix Smart 6 Plus phone, which had been placed on a table in front of the shop, was missing.
Suspecting that Ekudi might have stolen the phone, the complainant asked a nearby neighbor to call her phone number in an attempt to locate it. Although the call went through, there was no response. Shortly afterward, a mobile money merchant named Godsway, who is also a witness in the case, returned the call using his personal phone.
Chief Inspector Aziati explained that Godsway informed the complainant that a woman, later identified as the convict, had brought a mobile phone to him, requesting that he remove the SIM card. It was during this process that the complainant’s phone rang, confirming their suspicions.
Ekudi was subsequently arrested, tried, and found guilty of theft. She has been sentenced to serve six months in prison for her crime.