Farmer jailed 10 years for stealing cassava

Yaw Nkrumah, 28, Akokoaso based farmer in the Akyemansa District, has appeared in court for stealing cassava valued GHc500 belonging to a colleague farmer.

Nkrumah pleaded guilty to stealing and the presiding judge of the circuit court at Akim Swedru, Mr Yaw Atta Sampong, sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour.

Briefing the court, Police Chief Inspector Adelaide Appiakorang, said the complainant, Mr Kwaku Opoku, lives with Nkrumah at Akokoaso in the Eastern Region.

She said at about 11:30 hours on February 22, Mr Opoku went to his farm and detected that someone had uprooted his cassava.

Chief Inspector Appiakorang said Mr Opoku made a personal investigation, which revealed that it was Nkrumah who stole the crop and therefore, confronted him.

According to her, Nkrumah admitted the offence and pleaded with the complainant not to inform anybody, but he refused and caused the arrest of Nkrumah.