Court jails nine persons for stealing

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced nine persons to 80 years imprisonment for various offences.

The offences ranged from conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry, causing damage, stealing, dishonestly receiving and abetment of crime.

The court presided over by Justice Francis Obiri delivering the judgement said most of the convicts admitted the crime in their caution statement, so the denial in the witness box was an afterthought.

He said the conduct of the convicts could collapse a company and even scare investors from the country.

The court has also acquitted and discharged Abongo Daniel Adabase, a trader for his innocence in the case.

Inspector Martin Acheampong told the court that the complainant in the case is the Chief Executive Officer of Sarago Company Limited.

He said the Company deals in the importation of assorted rice into the country.

He said during the month of January, the complainant imported 45,762 bags of rice from MOI international Limited of Singapore and deposited some in a customs Bonded Warehouse at Tema.

The prosecution said on March 15, the complainant received a call from his haulage officer that thieves had tied the security officers and broke into the warehouse and stole some of the rice.

Inspector Acheampong said complainant immediately reported to the police and during investigations, it came to light that on March 16, Emmanuel Kwame Bansa, Joseph Muniru, Peter Mensah, Quarshiega Prosper and Francis Akpalo, all security officers with G4S Security Company on duty conspired and approached Francis Kodjo Damigu and Daniel Akwetey Tetteh to tie them.

He said the action of the security officers was to enable Daniel and Kodjo to break into the warehouse and steal some of the rice, so that they could share the proceeds.

He said Daniel and Kodjo were arrested and they admitted to the police that the security officers brought about the deal.

Further investigations disclosed that Kodjo then informed one Atando Matthew Baba, whilst Akwetey also informed Stephen Ninyegu Tawiah to join the deal and get sponsors, so Stephen called to inform Abongo to sponsor the operation.

The Prosecution said on March 14, Baba organised two trailer trucks and loading boys to the warehouse at about 1530 hours.

He said Joseph and Peter, who were on night duty opened the main gate for the truck and they entered and broke into the warehouse and stole 7,194 bags of rice.

He said after the act, Joseph and Peter caused Emmanuel and his accomplices to use their uniforms to tie them as if they were under duress and placed them at the back of the warehouse.

Emmanuel and Baba led the truck to new Achimota and sold the rice to Emmanuel Faith Adams, Mansah Agbale and one Kawme at the price of GH?50 per bag.

Adams, Agbale and Kwame also employed men to re-bag the rice and sold all prospective buyers.