By
Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Enchi (WN/R), Oct
18, GNA – A District Magistrate Court in Enchi has fined a community police
assistant GH¢1,200.00 for allegedly stealing six bags of dried cocoa beans
valued at ¢os Cobbina, who is attached to the Dadieso Police Station pleaded
not guilty to the count of stealing, but was convicted after trial.
The convict who in
default would serve 12 months imprisonment in hard labour was in addition
ordered by the Court to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
Prosecuting Detective
Joseph Kwadwo Agyare, told the court presided over by Mr Eric Baah Boateng,
that the complainant is a member of the community watchdog committee at
Atekyem, a suburb of Dadieso in the Suaman District with Cobbina residing in
the same area.
He said on November
26, 2017, around 5:30 am, the complainant and his members were on patrol duties
when they spotted a taxi cab with registration number AS 1534-14 being driven
by one Abudulai Issah at Dadieso Zongo.
According to the
prosecutor, the convict alighted and with the assistance of the driver three
bags of dried cocoa beans were brought out from the taxi cap and parked same at
the entrance of a cocoa depot belonging to Abukari who emerged after the beans
were off loaded.
Detective Agyare
said Cobbina who noticed the presence of the complainant and his members
re-board the taxi cab and bolted.
The prosecutor said
the complainant became suspicious and asked the depot owner to take custody of
the three bags of dried cocoa beans while he proceeded to the charge office to
lodge a complaint.
He said while the
complainant was at the police station one Duah Boakye Michael a purchasing
clerk at Kwabenakrom arrived with a complaint,
that at dawn thieves broke into his cocoa shed and made away with six
bags of dried cocoa beans he purchased from Produce Buying company and he
identified the various bags with his society number WNA1-01-18.
On the same day, the
prosecution said the police had information indicating that the convict in the
morning was seen pouring dried cocoa beans from an original society numbered
sacks into two different cocoa sacks.
He said based on the
tip-off the police proceeded to the convict’s house and found the said two bags
of dried cocoa beans in his room of which he claimed ownership and it was sent
to the police station together with him.
According to
Detective Sergeant Agyare, prior to Cobbina’s arrest, he told the police that
he found seven bags of dried cocoa beans along the Karlo Gyampokrom motor road
and was ordered by a police officer to send the cocoa beans to the charge
office but instead diverted three bags to Dadieso Zongo.
The prosecutor said
on December 25, 2017, the convict sent the remaining bags of dried cocoa beans
to the police station and after investigations he was charged with the offence.
GNA
