Job seeker jailed two years for phone theft at CHRAJ offices

A 36-year-old job seeker who stole a mobile phone from an office at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in Accra has been sentenced to prison.

Foster Nyarko was convicted for stealing a Samsung A54 5G phone, valued at GH¢4,999, belonging to a principal administrator at CHRAJ.

Presiding over the case, Judge Basilia Adjei-Tawiah initially postponed the sentencing after Nyarko pleaded guilty. However, in the final ruling, he was handed a 13-month sentence for unlawful entry and an additional two-year term for theft, both to run concurrently.

During the trial, Nyarko pleaded for leniency, promising never to repeat his actions.

According to Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori Appiah, the complainant, Celis-Jane Nyadroh, works as a Principal Administrator at CHRAJ's headquarters in Accra.

On October 23, 2024, Nyarko visited CHRAJ, claiming he was following up on a job application at the Human Resource Department. While inside the premises, he entered Nyadroh’s office on the first floor, found it unoccupied, and seized the opportunity to steal her phone.

The theft was reported to the Ministries Police Station the following day.

However, Nyarko’s luck ran out on January 30, 2025, when he attempted a similar theft at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. This time, he was caught by management.

CCTV footage from CHRAJ, presented by the complainant and witnesses, clearly identified him as the perpetrator.

On January 31, 2025, Nyarko was taken back to the crime scene, where he admitted to both stealing the phone and unlawfully entering the office.

His conviction serves as a warning against criminal activities under the guise of job-seeking.