Man jailed 3 years for stealing 2 mobile phones

Gavel

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Accra Circuit Court yesterday, for stealing two mobiles phones.

Prince Kofi Okyere, a labourer, pleaded guilty to stealing, abetment of crime and unlawful entry.

He was convicted on his plea of guilty by the court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah.

The court had, however, deferred sentencing on Daniel Obeng, who had been charged together with Okyere.

At the time sentence was read, Obeng was not in court.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector of Police Asumah Ramata, told the court that the complainants, Taiwo Adaremi and Adepaju Kehinde, both Nigerians, reside at Laboma Beach Resort, a suburb of Accra.

She said Okyere, a labourer, and Obeng, a mobile phone dealer, live together at 37, in Accra.

Chief Insp. Ramata said on August 12, Okyere went to the Laboma Beach Resort to seek for job from the complainants, but the complainants said they had no job for him and asked him to leave.

The prosecution outlined that Okyere stayed behind and sneaked into the complainant’s room and stole their Iphone X valued at GH¢2,800.00 and Iphone XR valued at GH¢3,000.00 and bolted.

Chief Insp. Ramata stated that Okyere and Obeng met, and both agreed to go and sell the stolen mobile phones.

The prosecution told the court that it was Obeng who led Okyere to a buyer at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, in Accra, and sold both phones at the total a cost of GH¢600.00.

She disclosed that after the sale, the two used part of the money to purchase a Huawei smartphone.

Chief Insp Ramata said the complainants detected the theft and lodged complaint with the police and the two were arrested.

She indicated that during investigations, Okyere and Obeng admitted the offences in their cautioned statements, and led police to Kwame Nkrumah Circle in an attempt to locate the receiver of the phones, but failed to locate them.

Chief Insp Ramata told the court that the Huawei phone has been retrieved from Okyere and Obeng.

She said the two were arraigned after a case was made against them to stand trial.

BY MALIK SULLEMANA