Security Officer, 3 Scrap Dealers Charged For Stealing

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced four persons for various offences in a stealing case involving GH¢643,000.00 worth of goods.

Osman Abdallah who was charged with stealing was fined Gh¢1,800.00 or in default spend two and half years in prison whilst Yakubu Andani who was charged with abetment was convicted in absentia to a fined of Gh¢1200.00 or in default spend two years in prison.

The two had earlier pleaded not guilty to stealing and abetment respectively but were found guilty after trial.

The rest Alhassan Musah and Sulemana Issah pleaded not guilty to dishonestly receiving stolen items but they were found culpable and both were fined Gh¢2,400.00 each or in default would serve three years imprisonment each.

Their counsel pleaded for mitigation in that they were first time offenders as well as breadwinners of their families and should be spared custodial sentences.

Prosecuting, Police Superintendent Alex Odonkor told the Court presided over by Madam Mariam Affoh that Abdul Razak Alhassan Gariba is the prosecution witness and a merchant.

He said Abdallah is a security officer of Gariba whereas the rest of the convicts are scrap dealers.

The Prosecution said Gariba owns a road construction equipment yard at Ashaiman.

The Prosecution said on January 12, 2015, Gariba returned from a trip and discovered at his yard that 64 pieces of Precast, metal mould, a mobile wielding plant, two hydraulic D6H pumps, two transmission D6H pumps, dozer starters and four electric motors valued GH¢643,000.00 had been stolen.

Superintendent Odonkor said, Abdallah had also vacated his post.

A report was subsequently made to the police and through investigation it was found that the items were bought by the scrap dealers from Abdallah.