Ashaiman circuit court charges 4streetlight thiefs on multiple charges

The Ashaiman Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Simon Gaga has charged four persons on four counts of conspiracy to commit crime namely stealing, contrary to sections 23 and 124(1) of the criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29), stealing contrary to section 124(1) of the criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29), unlawful entry, contrary to section 152 of the criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29) and dishonestly receiving, contrary to section 146 of the criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29) and were found guilty. In court, A1-A4 were absent in lawful custody. An application for abridgment of time was filed by counsel and same was granted. Prosecution:Chief Inspector Patrick Ayensu presenting brief fact investigated by D/CPL. James Antwi told the court that the complainant, Twumasi Kwame Ampofoh is the Member of Parliament for Sene East Constituency and also the proprietor of Princeton Academy at Community 25, Tema. A1, Messiah Ahiagah is a Trader, A2 Baba Tunde Olawola Cyril Chacran is a Benin national, Motorcyclist and a friend to A1 both reside at Saki Bediako High Tension near Tema Community 25 and live in the same room. A3,Francis Donkor is unemployed and former private security guards at the complainant's school, presently residing at Hohoe in the Volta Region while A4 Francis Onuoha is a Nigeria national, a Trader and resides at Ashaiman Newtown. On 5/01/2023 at about 1:30 am, the Tema Regional Police command gathered intelligence that four men were seen at Tema Community 25 near Energy Commission Yard carting unspecified boxes of street lights in the nearby bush believed to have been stolen from the complainant's 40-footer container at the said school. Police quickly stormed the scene and traced the stolen items to a house at Saki High Tension near Community 25, where the four men upon seeing the Police absconded leaving behind 17 boxes of LED Street lights. On 06/01/2023, at about 5:00pm, the complainant visited the school and detected that thieves had broken into his 40-footer container and made away with one hundred and fifty(150) boxes of LED street lights meant for his constituents, valued about two hundred and forty Ghana cedis(Ghc240,000.00). The complainant lodged a formal complaint with the police as part of street lights stolen from his container. Investigations established that A1, A2,A3 and their accomplices including one Nana Osei alias Nana Tattoo at large, between the months of October 2022 to 5th January, 2023 conspired and stole the complainant's street lights. It was also established that A3 after the act,on 12/02/2023, A1 and A2 were also arrested at their hideout at Saki-Bediako. Prosecution told the court that during investigations, A1 and A2 confessed having conspired with the said Nana Osei aka Nana Tattoo and others to steal the street lights. A1 further stated that he and Nana Osei had sold unspecified number of complainant's stolen street lights to A4 at Ashaiman Newtown and Saki-Bediako respectively. On 13/02/2023,A1 led police to A4's electrical shop at Ashaiman Newtown and he was also arrested. Prosecution said during further investigations, A4 admitted that in the month of October, 2022, Nana Osei aka Nana Tattoo and one Obed, at large sold 150 boxes of street lights believed to have been stolen from the complainant's container to him at a cost of Ghc16,000.00. They have been charged with the offences whilst efforts are being made to arrest those at large.