By Edward Williams

Hohoe (W/R), November 14, GNA – A 29-year-old electrician, Samuel Ledi, alias Maize Dealer, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Hohoe District Court for stealing a lady’s bag, which it contained an amount of GH₵40,000.

Tsikata, a suspect in the case, is, however, at large.

On July 17, 2024, the convict was arraigned before the Court presided over by Mr. Michael Johnson Abbey for the offense and pleaded not guilty.

However, Ledi was found guilty after a full trial, convicted and sentenced.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Charles Aziati told the Court that Ledi was “known” and that in 2021 he had committed a similar offense by stealing a bag containing money and a phone, which resulted in him being jailed for two years, therefore he pleaded with the Court to receive severe punishment.

He said the complainant was a trader and sells fish at Hohoe market and on May 22, 2023, she went to the market and kept her red bag worth GH₵200, which contained a cash sum of GH₵40,000, in a cardboard box under the table.

Chief Inspector Aziati declared, around 1:00 p.m., on the same day, the plaintiff detected the theft of the bag and its contents and reported the case to the Police, where two suspects were arrested.

He said during investigations, the convict came to inform the Police that the suspect at large and his friend were the ones who embezzled the complainant’s money and that he could help the Police arrest the suspect and his friend at Ashaiman.

Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict took the complainant’s husband and two police officers to Ashaiman to look for the suspect and the friend, but they were not found after two days of searching.

He said on June 6, 2023, the complainant and her husband came to inform the Police that they had information from a reliable source that the convict was among the people who embezzled the complainant’s money, leading to his arrest on suspicion and detained in the cell for investigation.

Chief Inspector Aziati said on 14 June 2023 that the convict and two other suspects were produced before the Circuit Court, Hohoe, where they were remanded for investigation.

He said that on June 24, 2023, a witness in the case came forward to inform the Police that he was also involved in a Police case and was arrested and detained in the cell and while in the same cell as the convict, told the witness that he induced the suspect at large and his friend to steal the complainant’s money and that he only took the police officers to Ashaiman to look for Tsikata as a strategy to mislead the Police.

Chief Inspector Aziati stated, on July 14, 2023, a 13-year-old young man, another witness in the case, came to inform the Police that he is the one whom the convict sent to steal the applicant’s bag containing the money for him.

He said an identification parade was held at Hohoe Police Station and the witness identified the convict to the Police as the person who sent him to steal.

Chief Inspector Aziati said that a tip from the General Prosecutor’s Office on the file of the convict officially accused him of the crime of theft.

GNA