Student jailed five years for cable theft

The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has handed out a five-year jail term to Kassim Bero, a 20-year-old second year student of Awutu Obrachire Senior High School for stealing cables belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The court also committed Iddrisu Zubair, 16 years old Junior High School dropout who accompanied Bero to steal the cables at Gomoa Abaasa to a borstal institute.

Bero and Zubairo pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and causing financial loss to ECG.

Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) Raymond Martey, prosecuting told the court, presided over by Mr Charles Adjei Wilson that the accused persons lived at Agona Swedcru Zubon Zongo, near Sport stadium.

He said on January 9, 2008 at about 13 hours the power went off suddenly in certain parts of Gomoa Abaasa and this aroused the suspicion of the chiefs and unit committee members that some people might have cut off the cables.

He told the court that the committee members conducted a search for the thieves and fortunately the two accused persons were arrested at the outskirt of the town.

DSP Martey said Bero confessed that they came to steal the cables because he needed money to cater for his wife who has given birth to a baby girl three months ago.

The prosecution said when the two accused persons were taken to where they kept the cables, they also retrieved cooking aluminium utensils stolen from various houses in the town.

DSP Martey said the chiefs and Unit Committee handed over the two accused persons after their arrest to the Swedru Police and they were charged with the offence and put before court.