An Amasaman Circuit Court has sentenced a 27-year-old mason, Jacob Tetteh, to 30 months’ imprisonment with hard labour for stealing items valued at GHC26,400.00.
Tetteh admitted to selling the stolen items, which included electrical appliances, clothing and detergents, explaining that part of the proceeds was used for medical treatment.
He pleaded for mercy before sentencing, telling the court, “I did not know what came over me.”
Tetteh was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for stealing and an additional 12 months for unlawful entry, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The court further ordered Tetteh to pay a fine of 100 penalty units, equivalent to GHC1,200.00, or serve an additional six months’ imprisonment.
He was also directed to pay the value of all unretrieved items to the complainant, Mr Stanley Kissi Boateng.
In passing sentence, Mrs Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, the relieving judge, noted that Tetteh was a first-time offender, had pleaded guilty simplicita, and had spent some time in custody.
Meanwhile, two alleged accomplices, Priscilla Araba Turkson and Matthew Blay Tanoe, who allegedly bought some of the stolen items, pleaded not guilty to charges of dishonestly receiving.
They were each granted bail of GHC5,000.00 with two sureties.
The court ordered the accused persons to report to the Police every fortnight and adjourned the case to January 15, 2026.
The Prosecution was also directed to file and serve disclosure documents necessary for the trial.
Police Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Boateng, a salesman at his father’s plumbing shop at Sapeiman, lived at Kutunse.
Tetteh resided at Nsawam-Dobro, while Turkson and Tanoe lived at Sapeiman and Medie, respectively.
He said Tetteh had been sharing an apartment with Boateng and his sister.
In January 2025, Boateng became suspicious of Tetteh after money went missing from his room.
On July 15, 2025, at about 8:00 p.m., Boateng’s sister reported that their rooms had been ransacked and several items stolen, including a Dell laptop, a GoPro Hero 13 camera, a winter jacket, clothes, sneakers, land documents, toiletries and a blender.
A report was made to the Adjen Kotoku Police Station, leading to Tetteh’s arrest.
In his caution statement, Tetteh admitted the offence and disclosed that he sold a duvet bedsheet to Turkson for GHC700.00 and two pairs of sneakers to Tanoe for GHC800.00.
Police subsequently arrested Turkson and Tanoe, who admitted buying the items.
Only the items sold to them were retrieved during investigations.
