Mechanic gets nine years for stealing

Accra, Oct. 10, GNA - A mechanic, Benjamin Cobbina Garrison a member of the car booth breaking syndicate was on Friday sentenced to nine years imprisonment with hard labour by a Circuit Court in Accra for stealing various foreign currencies from a car.

Garrison also known as John Way, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing.

The court has however, ordered for the arrest of his accomplices Jones Anim-Addo, Smart Debrah and Amakudzi who are on the run.

Prosecuting Chief Superintendent of Police, George Ofori told the court that the complainant Mr. Michael Hollywood is a businessman in Accra. He said on May 2, last year, the complainant, who had planned to travel, packed his personnel belongings that included 10,400 dollars, two million cedis, 400,000 CFA, one digital camera and a charger, a computer with its accessories, a driving licence among others in a bag and put it in his Nissan Patrol.

The prosecution said the complainant who did not know that Garrison and his accomplices were trailing him parked his vehicle in front of ADEPA Pharmacy shop located at the Airport Residential Area to buy some drugs. He said, Garrison, who was the leader of the syndicate quickly alighted from their car, picked the bag, jumped into a waiting car and sped off.

The prosecution said the complainant returned from the shop and detected the theft and reported the matter to the police. According to prosecution, Garrison was arrested in connection with a theft case and upon police interrogation, he admitted breaking into the complainant's vehicle and stealing the bag and he gave out the names of his accomplices.

The prosecution said Garrison told the police that he used his share to purchase a vehicle that had been impounded. Garrison also led the police to arrest Anim-Addo his accomplice but he (Anim-Addo) later escaped. A laptop computer and 400 dollars was later retrieved from Garrison and the documents in the bag were later found at North Kaneshie after a Good Samaritan had sent them to Peace FM.