Court sentences Pastor Trainee for theft

Aflao, April 26, GNA- David De-Souza, 45, an ex-convict, who said he was a Pastor Trainee was jailed 14 years in hard labour last Tuesday by an Aflao Circuit Court.

He was identified by the police as a beneficiary of a presidential pardon that freed him in the middle of a five-year jail term at the Ho prison for theft.

De-Souza who claimed to be a Bible student at God Devine Christian Ministry at Abeka La paz in Accra pleaded not guilty to all three counts of unlawful entry, unlawful damage and stealing of household gadgets worth five million cedis.

He was however, found guilty by the court and jailed 14 years on each count to run concurrently.

Passing sentence, the Presiding Judge, Group Captain Martin Obeng-Ntim (rtd) said he would be failing in his duty if De-Souza's sentence did not reflect public disapproval of his conduct and more so as the law frowns on people who go again into crime after being released from prison under an amnesty.

Mr Kofi Frimpong, a Police Chief Inspector told the court that the complainant Bight Fiapomey, a Clearing Agent lived at Second Low Cost, while the accused lived at Viepe both suburbs of Aflao. He said about 1300 hours on July 6 last year, the complainant found the door to his room forced open and some items, including household gadgets and food items worth about five million cedis missing. Mr Frimpong said the complainant traced some footsteps and saw the accused at a distance carrying a headload and polythene container, which the complainant recognized as his.

He said De-Souza dropped the items and took to his heels when asked to stop, but was chased and arrested. Mr Frimpong said as the accused was being marched to the crime scene, a woman dealing in wares by the road pointed out to the team a sack load of items she alleged was dropped with her for safe keeping by De-Souza with the explanation that he was checking out of his former residence. He said the retrieved sacks were found to contain the items stolen from the complainant's room.