Akropong: The Asante Akropong Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District has sentenced a 44-year-old driver to five years imprisonment for stealing a low bed truck valued at GHc 300,000.00 at Pankrono, near Kumasi. Kwame Oppong pleaded guilty and was convicted on his own plea by the court presided by Mrs. Gloria Mensah Bonsu.
According to Ghana News Agency, Police Chief Inspector Ruth Gborson, who prosecuted the case, informed the court that the complainant, Stephen Kingsley Annor, is a businessman and resident of Pankrono, while the convict resided at Adankwame, near Akropong. In May 2023, the complainant engaged Oppong to drive his Man Diesel low bed truck with registration number GE 2113-11 at Pankrono.
Two months later, the truck developed a fault, and the complainant instructed Oppong to park it at a spot at Kumasi Sofoline and remove the head to Suame Magazine for repairs. However, the convict convinced the complainant to park the truck at his mother's house in Adankwame-Nsiakrom to prevent it from being stolen, and the complainant agreed.
Chief Inspector Gborson revealed that the convict then went behind the complainant's back and sold the truck to a scrap dealer, identified as Abubakar, for GHc 12,000.00 and went into hiding. After several unsuccessful attempts to trace him, the complainant reported the matter to the Abuakwa police.
Oppong was eventually arrested from his hideout at Offinso-Abofuor, his hometown. In his caution statement, he admitted to the crime and led the police to the residence of the buyer at Afful Nkwanta, but the buyer could not be traced. After further investigations, Oppong was charged and brought before the court.
