Father and Son steal goat for soup

Asamankese (E/R), Sept. 1, GNA - The Asamankese Circuit court has fined a young man 400,000 cedis for stealing a goat and slaughtering it for "pepper soup" at Asuokaw near Asamankese.

Prosper Zilevu and his father, named only as Agbeko, who is on the run, stole the animal valued at 300,000 cedis. He pleaded guilty and will go to jail for three months if he fails to pay the fine. In addition, Zilevu has been ordered to compensate the owner of the goat, one Alhassan Adams with 350,000 cedis or serve additional three months in jail with hard labour.

Detective Police Inspector J.F. Idan, prosecuting, told the court that the owner of the goat, Alhassan Adams, lived in the same community with Zilevu and his father.

He said Adams had been losing his goats from his pen to thieves and had all along suspected Zilevu and his father as the culprits but could not confront them because he had no evidence.

Inspector Idan said on August 7, at about 1930 hrs, Adams' animals returned from grazing without one of the female goats.

According to the prosecution, Adams became suspicious and immediately informed the village's unit Committee leaders who sent some of their members to accompany Adams to the house of the accused. At the house, they met Zilevu and his father getting ready to enjoy a meal of goat pepper soup.

The court heard that on seeing the complainant and members of the Unit Committee, Agbeko abandoned the food and took to his heels leaving behind his son.

The Committee members took Zilevu to the Police station together with the rest of some left over of the uncooked meat, the prosecutor said.