Man jailed 5 years for stealing 3 bunches of plantain

A Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced Dominic
Owusu, a 50-year-old electrician, to five years
imprisonment with hard labour for stealing three
bunches of plantain.
The convict, who was recently released from
prison for committing a similar offence, pleaded
guilty.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Florence
Tawiah told the court, presided by Mr. Justice
Samuel Obeng Diawuo that the complainant, Mr
Franklin Kwesi, is a security officer at a branch of
the Ahantaman Rural Bank, at Tarkwa while the
accused resided at Aboso in the Prestea Huni/
valley District.
She said on July 3, Philomina Baidoo, a food
stuff trader, returned from a business trip late in
the night and left three bunches of plantain in the
care of the complainant, who was then on duty at
the premises of the bank.
Chief Inspector Tawiah said the complainant
placed the plantain under a table on the
pavement in front of the bank and took shelter in
the security booth.
She said at about 4pm, the complainant did not
find the plantain when he went out to the
pavement to look for it under the table.
Chief Inspector Tawiah said while the
complainant was searching for the plantain, she
saw Dominic in front of a shop opposite the bank
with a loaded fertilizer sack beside him.
She said the complainant confronted Dominic and
demanded to know the content of the sack.
Chief Inspector Tawiah said the accused, sensing
danger, confessed that he stole the three bunches
of plantain and hid them in the fertilizer sack.
She said the accused led the complainant and
some witnesses to the spot where he removed the
plantain from their stalks where they found three
stalks there.
Chief Inspector Tawiah said the complainant, with
the help of the witnesses, arrested the accused
and handed him over to the Police.