Driver jailed 60 months for stealing employer’s vehicle

Kofi Sakyi, a taxi driver, who absconded with his employer’s taxi valued GH¢75,000 has been sentenced to 60 months imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.

Sakyi, aka, Mosquito, was sentenced after the court found him guilty on the charge of stealing after trial.

The court, presided over by Mr Isaac Addo, handing down the sentence, said the accused was a first-time offender and he had been in custody for some time.

It, however, noted that the vehicle in question was not found.

The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer said the complainant Fatima Ali was a businesswoman residing at Accra New Town whilst the accused person, Kofi Sakyi Isaac, aka Mosquito, was a taxi driver residing at Accra New Town close to the complainant’s residence.

The prosecution said in September 2023, Sakyi approached the complainant, who owned a Hyundai 110 taxicab with the registration number GS 5447-22 valued at GH¢75,000.00 to give him the taxi for work.

The court heard that the Complainant gave the taxi and its ignition key to the accused person, who immediately started work.

The prosecution said Sakyi had been taking the Complainant’s daughter to school at Haatso-Accra and back home after school as his additional duty.

On January 21, 2024, the prosecution said the Complainant was expecting the accused person to pick up her daughter to school, but he did not show up.

According to the prosecution, the Complainant, therefore, contacted Sakyi on the phone, but he gave excuses that the car developed a mechanical fault and that he was fixing it.

It said later in the afternoon the same day, the Complainant again called Sakyi to pick up her daughter from school but to no avail because he had turned his phone off.  

 On January 25, 2024, the matter was reported to the Police and intelligence gathered was that the accused was hiding in Agona Kwanyako in the Central Region.

 On January 31, 2024, the investigation was extended to Agona Kwanyako, but it was later detected that Sakyi had a hint of the Police and moved to Takoradi.

The prosecution said on February 5, 2024, at about 1:30am intelligence led to the arrest of Sakyi at his hideout at Agona Swedru.

During interrogation, Sakyi denied the offence in his cautioned statement and said he was attacked at Kwame Nkrumah Circle by two unknown guys, who requested his service to North Kaneshie.

The prosecution said Sakyi led the Police to the scene but could not identify the exact location where the alleged incident took place.