Nsuta court fines farmer GHC 7200 for stealing akpeteshie

A CCTV installation meant to stop repeated thefts from an akpeteshie trader’s stock has led to the conviction of a 24-year-old farmer at Nsuta in the Ashanti Region.

Dauda Ibrahim, also known as Yaro, was fined GH¢7,200 by the Nsuta Circuit Court after he was found guilty of stealing quantities of local gin belonging to trader Aduna Frimpomaa.

The court, presided over by Judge Simon Nketiah Gagah, ordered that Ibrahim serve three years in prison if he fails to pay the fine.

According to the prosecution, the complainant had been dealing in large quantities of akpeteshie for about two years and had suffered persistent losses from her stock.

To identify the persons behind the thefts, she installed CCTV cameras at her premises in July.

Chief Inspector C.K. Gyesi told the court that on July 19, the cameras captured Ibrahim stealing seven gallons of akpeteshie valued at GH¢3,500.

He was later arrested, and the stolen liquor was recovered from a person who had received it.

That matter was settled out of court after a request from Ibrahim’s family.

The prosecution said the thefts, however, did not end there.

On August 3, the complainant discovered that 20 more gallons of akpeteshie, valued at GH¢12,000, had gone missing.

When she reviewed the CCTV footage, Ibrahim was again allegedly seen in connection with the theft.

The matter was reported to the Police, who later arrested him at a hideout through intelligence-led investigations.

In his police statement, Ibrahim mentioned a man known only as Popolampo as his alleged accomplice.

Police say Popolampo is currently on the run.

Ibrahim also led investigators to Ama Sarpong, who was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods.

The prosecution said Sarpong admitted buying four gallons of the stolen akpeteshie from Ibrahim for GH¢2,000.

The court ordered that the GH¢2,000 recovered from Sarpong be handed over to the complainant.