Welder jailed 18 months for stealing

A circuit court at Cape Coast on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old welder, Baaba Abu to 18 months imprisonment for unlawful entry and stealing.

Baaba pleaded guilty and implored the judge, Mr Richard Asiedu-Badu to forgive and deal with him leniently because “the devil led him into the act”.

Chief Inspector Hope Azasoo had earlier told the court that sometime in September last year, one Mr Philip Fiifi Sam, an employee of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly woke up at about 02.00hrs to detect that some items including assorted soft drinks, 20 bottles of “shito”, tubers of yam and a gas cylinder have been stolen from his room.

He said Mr Sam suspected the convict, who lives in the same area with him at Antem, a suburb of Cape Coast and reported the matter to the police.

Chief Inspector Amonoo said efforts to arrest Abu failed because he had gone into hiding, but was apprehended on a tip-off, when he resurfaced in the area and admitted the offence last Thursday.

Abu who was allegedly involved in another theft case at the Adisadel Assemblies' of God Church, but pleaded not guilty to that charge and told the court that he had no hand in that case and named one Joe as the culprit.

In that case items including amplifies, plastic chairs and loud speakers were stolen from the Church.

Police investigations continue and he would be re-arraigned on Tuesday, March 4.