Businessman convicted for unlawful entry and stealing

Kelvin Mensah, a 25-year-old businessman, has been convicted by a Hohoe Circuit Court to two years imprisonment for unlawful entry and stealing.

The Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey, found the convict guilty of the charges after he earlier pleaded not guilty when he first appeared in court on May 14.

The Court, in handing over the sentence, considered the time the convict had spent in the cell.

Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, the Prosecutor, said on May 7, last year at about 0630 hours, the complainant, who is a trader received a phone call from Tina, who is an apprentice to a shop adjacent to her shop that had broken into the shop.

He said the complainant quickly rushed to Tina’s shop at the Hohoe Galaxy Hotel area and detected thieves had broken into the shop and made away with her 12 smocks valued at GH₵4,200 and one “Faster Decoder” valued at GH₵150, all to a total of GH₵4,350.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the complainant reported the theft to the Police after her initial efforts to trace the said items failed.

He said on May 10, at about 0930 hours, the Police received information that the convict was hiding at Gbi-Kpoeta with some of the complainant's stolen items, which the Police acted upon.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict upon seeing the Police took to his heels but was pursued, arrested and led to his room and a search was conducted where nine smocks and one faster decoder were found in a sack.

He said the convict was brought to the Police station, together with the stolen items, which were identified as belonging to the complainant.

Chief Inspector Aziati said during investigations, the convict denied the offence and mentioned one Johnson Kwaku as the person who sold the items to him, but it came out as a fabrication.

He said the convict then mentioned one Isaac to have sold the said items to him at the cost of GH₵1,000 but could not lead police to the said Isaac's house.

In a related development, the convict whilst on trial had a pending case with a similar offence and was consequently remanded.

The case is, however, adjourned to August 24 while the convict serves his jail term.