The Asante Juaben Circuit Court has sentenced a 25-year-old farmer to 30 months imprisonment in hard labour, for stealing one bag of cocoa beans valued GHȻ475.00, at Ampaedwa, near Effiduase in the Sekyere East District.
Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, pleaded guilty to the charge, and was convicted on his own plea by the court presided by Mr Yusif Osei Asibey.
The court also ordered the police to return the cocoa beans to the complainant.
Police Chief Inspector Ishmael Stanley Adjei told the court that both the convict and the complainant, Mr Paul Appiah Mensah, are cocoa farmers at Ampaedwa.
Chief Insp Adjei said on March 15, this year, the complainant harvested cocoa pods and left the fresh beans in the farm to ferment.
Prosecution said when complainant went to the farm the next day, he released that his cocoa beans had been stolen.
Chief Inspector Adjei said the complainant lodged a complaint with the police at Seniagya, leading to the arrest of the convict.
He said Rahman in a cautioned statement admitted the offence and led the police to retrieve the cocoa beans. – GNA
