Featured

Cop, three others jailed for underground cables theft

Michael Donkor Apr - 15 - 2014 , 07:37

Four persons, including a policeman, were yesterday sentenced to a total of 40 years’ imprisonment for stealing underground cables belonging to Vodafone Ghana.

They are Inspector Enoch Lamptey, Abubakari Alhassan Damba, Kwadwo Gyapong and Ohene Toffa.

Inspector Lamptey was convicted for abetment of crime, while the others were found guilty of conspiracy and stealing.

They will all serve 10 years in prison.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges, but after the trial, the circuit court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, found them guilty.

The court, meanwhile, acquitted and discharged six other persons in the case for want of prosecution.

They are Laminu Fuseini, Adam Abdallah, Haminu Salifu, Illiasu Abubakari, Yakubu Abdulai and Abass Abubakari.

Facts

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Jubiok Michaels said the complainant was the Operations Manager of Vodafone Ghana Limited, while Kwadwo Gyapong, Abubakari Alhassan Damba and Laminu Fuseini were scrap dealers at Agbogbloshie.

Adam Abdallah, Haminu Salifu, Illiasu Abubakari and Yakubu Abdulai were also scrap dealers at Agbogbloshie in Accra.

Abass Abubakari was the driver of a Kia Rhino truck, with registration number CR 852-10, while Ohene Toffa was a driver's mate.

Inspector Enoch Lamptey was a policeman stationed at the Railways Police Station in Accra.

He said about 3.30 a.m. on July 23, 2013, the Achimota Mile 7 police received a telephone call from a concerned citizen that the accused persons had stolen a quantity of Vodafone underground cables and loaded same onto a Kia Rhino truck ready to leave.

The police immediately moved to the scene and met the accused persons with some of the cables in the truck, while they had chained another underground cable to the vehicle to pull same out.

They were arrested and taken to the Achimota Mile 7 Police Station.

During investigations, it came to light that the accused persons had, about 2:15 a.m. on July 17, 2013, stolen a quantity of the underground cables and conveyed them in the same Kia Rhino truck and managed to escape with them.

Inspector Lamptey was assisting Gyapong and Damba to escape with the cables and was accordingly arrested.

Robbery at Legon

In another development, a labourer who robbed two female students of the University of Ghana of their mobile phones was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by the court.

Richard Amankwah pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery but was found guilty after the trial.

Facts

Prosecuting, Inspector Kofi Adu said the complainants were both students of the University of Ghana, while Amankwah, alias Koforidua, was a labourer staying at Tema Community 9.

Inspector Adu said on February 22, 2014, the complainants were talking on their phones while walking on a path towards their hall of residence when the convict emerged from a nearby bush and attacked the first complainant, threatened her with a knife and took her mobile phone from her.

The convict then proceeded to attack the second complainant, pulled a knife on her and again ordered her to surrender her phone.

When she tried to run away, Amankwah kicked her and she fell, slashed her palm with the knife and succeeded in taking her mobile phone.

He said the complainants shouted for help, which attracted passers-by who chased the convict and arrested him with the phones.

Complainant Abigail Owusu was issued with a medical form for treatment at a hospital.

Writer’s email:michael.donkor@graphic.com.gh