SUGAR THIEF FINED (MIRROR, PAGE 35, NOV 5, 2010)

From Samuel Duodu, Kintampo

ONE of the two persons, who were charged with stealing five bags of sugar with an inscription of the World Food Programme (WFP) embossed on the sacks at Kintampo two weeks ago, has been sentenced to a fine of Gh¢960 or in default serve 23 months imprisonment.
The Kintampo Circuit Court also ordered the convict, Adjei Kwame Vasco to pay a compensation of Gh¢350 to the driver of the Bolga bound articulated truck from which the sugar was stolen, for damaging the tarpaulin been used to cover the sugar on board the truck.
Vasco, 27, and Peter Kategeh, 26, a driver, were arrested by the police at Kintampo when they were loading the sugar into a Tico taxi.
However, the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, acquitted and discharged Kategeh, since according to the evidence adduced by the court he had no knowledge of the crime, because he was only stopped by Vasco while he was working as a commercial driver to render a service.
During their first appearance in court, Vasco pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, causing unlawful damage and stealing while Kategeh denied knowledge of the crime and were both remanded.
Vasco told the court that he was riding a bicycle from Babatokuma to Kintampo when he saw the bags of sugar by the roadside and called the driver to come to convey them.
However, at the second hearing of the case, Vasco confessed to the crime and pleaded for leniency.
The facts of the case were that the two were residents of the Kintampo North municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region while the complainant, Mohammed Yakubu was from Accra and in-charge of the articulated truck.
Yakubu, who was in transit stopped over at Kintampo to rest and later took off to Babatokuma. On arrival at Babatokuma, he detected that the rope that was used to fasten the tarpaulin was loose and was dragging on the road.
Yakubu stopped and detected that thieves had cut the tarpaulin and had stolen some bags of sugar.
He quickly reported it to the police patrol team stationed at the Surounuan toll booth.
Yakubu, with the help of the Police Patrol Team traced the stolen bags of sugar to Kintampo and on their way they came across a taxi parked along the road.
The team saw Kategeh sitting behind the steering wheel of the taxi, while Vasco was loading the sugar into the car.
The two were arrested and sent to the Kintampo Police Station with the exhibits.