Kwadaso Circuit court jails scrap dealer three months for metal theft

The Kwadaso Circuit Court has sentenced 30-year-old scrap dealer Yakubu Zakari to three months’ imprisonment for stealing metal items at Bomso, a suburb of Kumasi.

Zakari, who resides at Aboabo, pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing but was convicted after a full trial presided over by Jephthah Appau.

Presenting the facts, Police Chief Inspector David Opoku Kwabi said the complainant, Obeng Abayie, a trader at Bomso, spotted Zakari carrying a sack containing four metal bracings in front of his shop at about 2:20 p.m. on January 13, 2025.

Suspecting the items were his, Mr. Abayie rushed home and discovered that the door to his garage had been broken and the metal bracings were missing.

He pursued Zakari and caught up with him at Bomso Top High, where the convict was attempting to load the stolen items onto a tricycle. The complainant raised an alarm, attracting police officers nearby, who arrested Zakari on the spot.

A subsequent search at the Bomso Police Charge Office uncovered several items in Zakari’s possession, including a frying pan, cutlass, four metal bracings, a pinch bar, hammer, fan parts, and four iron rods, all suspected to have been stolen.

In his caution statement, Zakari denied the allegations, claiming he had bought the items from two unidentified men at Bomso. However, he failed to provide proof of purchase or lead police to the supposed sellers.

After thorough investigations, he was charged with stealing and convicted by the court, leading to his three-month custodial sentence.

The ruling underscores the judiciary’s resolve to curb petty theft and reinforce accountability within local communities.