A 20-year-old small-scale miner has been sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for stealing GH¢4,300 from a drinking bar at the Tarkwa Railway Station.

Issah Rahman, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was previously convicted by the Tarkwa District Court for causing harm.

During the ruling, the court considered Rahman’s previous conviction and the fact that stealing was rampant within the Tarkwa Railway community.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Joseph Lartey, told the court that the complainant Augustus Handson Nuertey a businessman lived in Akyempim, while Rahman lived in Akoon.

The prosecutor said the complainant operated a drinking bar at the Tarkwa Railway station.

On February 24, 2026, at about 4:00 am, while the complainant and his salesgirl, Jennifer Anyimedu, a witness in the case, were taking a nap after selling all night, Rahman entered the bar under the pretext of buying a drink.

He said that after entering the bar, Rahman realised the two were asleep, opened the drawer, and made off with a sum of GH¢4,300, which was the previous night's sales.

ASP Lartey said that when the complainant woke up and discovered the theft, he quickly reviewed the Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTC) footage he had installed in the bar.

The prosecutor said the CCTC captured Rahman stealing the money, and the complainant identified him in the video.

He stated that around 10:30 am, on the same day, the complainant saw Rahman at the Akoon community mine, arrested him, and handed him over to the police to aid investigations.