Two persons were on Tuesday sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in hard labour each for conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
The two Solomon Korvela and Michleen Nana Miritaiah, all shop assistants were said to have conspired and stolen 473 bags of ladies bags and 264 pieces of purse valued in total at GH¢47,125.00, belonging to Mr and Mrs Yankson.
They had both pleaded not guilty to the charges but after trial the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh found them guilty of the offences.
They are to serve six months each in custody on both counts which are to run concurrently, and additionally to pay a fine of 500 penalty units each on each count or in default serve an additional 12 months on each count also to run concurrently.
Meanwhile, two other accomplices Enyonam Agbetsiameh a bar operator who was charged for abetment of crime and Doris Agbetsiameh who was charged with being in possession of stolen property were acquitted and discharged.
The court in sentencing said per the evidence before it, it found that the evidence given by the prosecution as per the audit had no basis, because they were not conducted in the presence of the accused.
He said the court’s decision is concentrated on the criminal aspect of the case which has been proven beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution against Solomon and Michleen.
He said the complainant is however at liberty to deal with the exact amount he presumes beyond the proven figure at another appropriate forum.
The court also stated that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of Enyonam and Doris, adding that, considering the relationship between Enyonam and Doris it was therefore satisfied with their explanation.
Prosecution had earlier being led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yirenkyi, told the court that both complainants are owners of a shop selling ladies bags, and purse at Makola. Solomon and Michleen are working with the complainants as shop assistants for the past five years.
He said Enyonam is businesswoman and Doris is unemployed.
The prosecution said for the past 4 months Solomon and Michleen stole from the store 473 ladies bags and 264 pieces of purse valued Gil¢17,135.00 and sold them to traders in Kumasi, Ho and Accra and the proceeds paid into the accounts of Solomon at the Fidelity Bank, Accra.
He said on August 14, 2014 at about 1630 hours after close of work Solomon and Michleen met and planned to steal from the store. Solomon being the keeper of the key to the store asked Michleen to come at 0340 hours on August 15, 2014 to take the goods.
The prosecution said on that day the two came and opened the store and took 49 pieces of ladies bags and 5 pieces of purse valued GH¢2,845.00 and kept them in “Ghana Must Go” bag and handed it over to a witness in the case to be sent to the house of Enyonam at Chorkor, Accra.
The prosecution said at about 0700 hours same day a witness visited the house of Enyonam and saw the “Ghana Must Go bag kept at the entrance of her room. The witness examined the contents of the bag and found to contain ladies bags and purse and quickly left to inform the complainant.
He said at about 1000 hours, Enyonam removed the bags from the “Ghana Must 30” bag and kept them in a cocoa sack and later sent it to the house of Doris and ordered her not to disclose it to anybody.
He told the court that Doris admitted that, Enyonam brought them to her and warned her not to disclose it to anyone. Both Doris and Enyonam were arrested and they mentioned Solomon and Michleen as the source of the items.
GNA
