Man jailed 25 months for burning three cars
Police Chief Inspector Clement Takyi, prosecuting, said the complainant, Joshua Nii Kuntso Alabi, is an auto mechanic who lives at Nungua.
A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 months in prison with hard labour for causing a fire that destroyed three vehicles at a mechanic shop in Accra.
Emmanuel Lewis Ebuka was convicted by the Accra Circuit Court 10 on three counts of unlawful damage.
He denied the charges, but the court found him guilty after trial.
The court sentenced him to 25 months’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Police Chief Inspector Clement Takyi, prosecuting, said the complainant, Joshua Nii Kuntso Alabi, is an auto mechanic who lives at Nungua.
He told the court that the incident happened at Mr Alabi’s workshop at Teshie Fertiliser.
According to the prosecution, Ebuka, who is unemployed and has no fixed place of abode, was first seen sleeping in one of the vehicles at the workshop in July 2025.
Workers at the shop asked him to leave and warned him not to return.
The prosecution said Ebuka returned to the workshop around midnight on August 8, 2025.
He allegedly entered a Chrysler Voyager with registration number GT 242 Z and smoked inside it.
After smoking, he allegedly threw the cigarette butt into the vehicle, causing it to catch fire.
The prosecution said Ebuka fled after realising that someone had seen him.
The fire spread from the Chrysler Voyager to other vehicles parked at the workshop.
They included a Ford Ranger pickup with registration number GW 2615 R, a Toyota 4Runner with registration number GS 1990 Z, and a Toyota Tacoma pickup with registration number GC 1421-10.
Mr Alabi and his workers tried to put out the fire before officers of the Ghana National Fire Service arrived.
The court heard that the Chrysler Voyager, Ford Ranger pickup and Toyota 4Runner were completely destroyed.
The Toyota Tacoma was partially damaged.
The three vehicles that were destroyed were valued at GH¢75,000, GH¢40,000 and GH¢80,000 respectively.
The total loss was estimated at GH¢195,000.
Chief Inspector Takyi said Ebuka was later arrested.
He allegedly admitted the offence in his caution statement.
After investigations, he was charged and brought before the court, where he was convicted and sentenced.
