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Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 9 August 2007

Source: GNA

Woman and son convicted for stealing dogs

Mpraeso, Aug. 9, GNA - A Circuit court at Mpraeso last Wednesday sentenced a 50-year-old woman and her son to a fine of nine-million cedis for stealing and killing two dogs that they used to prepare meals. The woman Yaa Gyenfua, a farmer and her 32-year-old son, Kofi Asante and one Kofi Aboagye, a labourer pleaded, guilty to three charges of being cruel to domestic animal, conspiracy to steal and stealing and killing domestic animal.

Gyenfua was fined two million cedis or in default three months imprisonment while Asante was fined five million cedis or in default 12 months imprisonment but Aboagye was acquitted and discharged for not receiving part of the dog meat.

The court further ordered Asante to pay a compensation of one million cedis each to the two owners of the dogs.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Alex Gyamera Acheampong told the court, presided over by Justice Kwabena Assuman-Adu that Asante had been setting traps to steal domestic animals at Asakraka for some time now.

He said on July 10 Asante set a trap that caught a male dog in his house, dressed it and used part of the meat to prepare his meal and gave part to his mother.

The prosecutor said the following day Asante again set a trap in his house that caught a pregnant female dog and took it to his kitchen where he invited Aboagye to assist him to dress it. His mother gave them cooking utensils to cook the meat.

He said an eyewitness who saw Asante removing the animal from the trap informed the owner of the dog who reported the case to the Kwahu Tafo police.