The Asante Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced a 24-year-old mason to 120 penalty units for stealing 21 bags of cement.
Cephas Apoyagra, who admitted entering Mr Peter Osei, the complainant’s premise to steal the 21 bags of cement, was convicted on his own plea and sentenced accordingly.
Apoyagra’s failure to pay the GHS1,440.00 would result in his imprisonment for 24 months in hard labour.
Giving the account, Police Chief Inspector Christian Amartey told the Court presided over by Mr Mark Tair-ima Diboro that Mr Osei was constructing his building at Akwaduo New Site, where Apoyagra resided.
He said on October 02, 2022, after the complainant and his co-workers had closed from work, they packed the rest of the 21 bags of cement for safekeeping in one of the rooms of the uncompleted building in which they were working.
Chief Inspector Amartey said after the complainant and his co-workers left the place, the convict, Apoyagra hired a tricycle to the place, where he loaded the 21 bags of cement into the tricycle and sent them to his uncle’s residence.
The next day, at about 7 am hours the complainant and his co-workers reported for work and detected that the bags of cement had been stolen.
The prosecution said the Complainant made enquiries and was told by a witness in the case that he saw Apoyagra conveying the bags of cement from the uncompleted building.
The Complainant then lodged a formal complaint with the Police, the Court heard.
Chief Inspector Amartey said on October 4, 2022, the Complainant arrested the suspect from his hideout and handed him over to the Police, where the convict admitted the crime in his cautioned statement.
He said Apoyagra then led the Police to retrieve the stolen items and after an investigation, he was arraigned.
Source: GNA