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Police assistant fined GH¢1,200 for allegedly stealing cocoa beans

A district magistrate court in Enchi has fined a community police assistant GH¢1,200.00 for allegedly stealing six bags of dried cocoa beans valued at GH¢2,856.00.

Amos Cobbina, who is attached to the Dadieso Police Station, pleaded not guilty to the count of stealing, but was convicted.

The convict, who in default would serve 12 months imprisonment in hard labour was in addition ordered by the court to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.

Prosecuting, Detective Sergeant Joseph Kwadwo Agyare, told the court presided by Mr Eric Baah Boateng, that the complainant is a member of the community watchdog committee at Atekyem, a suburb of Dadieso in the Suaman District and Cobbina resides in the same area.

He said on November 26, 2017, the complainant and his members were on patrol duties when they spotted a taxi cab being driven by one Abdulai Issah at Dadieso Zongo.

According to Sgt Agyare the convict alighted, and with the assistance of the driver three bags of dried cocoa beans were offloaded from the taxi, and parked same at the entrance of a cocoa depot, belonging to Abukari, who emerged after the beans were offloaded.

Prosecution said when Cobbina saw the complainant and his members, he boarded the taxi and bolted.

Sgt Agyare said the complainant became suspicious and asked the depot owner to take custody of the three bags of dried cocoa beans, while he proceeded to the charge office to lodge a complaint.

He said while the complainant was at the police station one Duah Boakye Michael, a purchasing clerk at Kwabenakrom, arrived to complain that at dawn thieves broke into his cocoa shed.

The court heard that the convict made away with six bags of dried cocoa beans complainant purchased from Produce Buying Company, and identified the bags with his society number WNA1-01-18.

On the same day, Sgt Agyare said the police had information that the convict in the morning was seen pouring dried cocoa beans from an original society numbered sacks into two different cocoa sacks.  

He said the police went to the convict’s house and found the said two bags of dried cocoa beans in his room of which he claimed ownership and the convict together with the cocoa beans were taken to the police station.

According to Detective Sergeant Agyare, prior to Cobbina’s arrest, he told the police that he found seven bags of dried cocoa beans along the Karlo Gyampokrom motor road and was ordered by a police officer to send the cocoa beans to the charge office, but instead diverted three bags to Dadieso Zongo.

The prosecutor said on December 25, 2017, the convict took the remaining bags of dried cocoa beans to the police station and after investigations he was charged with the offence. – GNA

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