The Tarkwa Circuit Court has handed a 24-month sentence to 20-year-old small-scale miner Issah Rahman for stealing GH¢4,300 from a drinking bar at the Tarkwa Railway Station.
Rahman, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was convicted and sentenced after the court took into consideration his previous conviction for causing harm.
The court was told that the money stolen represented sales from the previous night’s operations at the drinking bar.
In handing down the sentence, the court considered Rahman’s previous conviction as well as the prevalence of stealing within the Tarkwa Railway community.
The court’s decision followed the prosecution’s account of how Rahman allegedly entered the bar in the early hours of February 24, 2026, while the operator and his salesgirl were asleep after working throughout the night.
ASP Joseph Lartey told the court that the complainant, Augustus Handson Nuertey, a businessman, lived at Akyempim, while Rahman was a resident of Akoon.
According to the prosecution, Nuertey operated a drinking bar at the Tarkwa Railway Station, where he conducted business with the assistance of his salesgirl, Jennifer Anyimedu, who also served as a witness in the case.
ASP Lartey told the court that on February 24, 2026, at about 4:00 am, Nuertey and Anyimedu were taking a nap after selling throughout the night.
The prosecutor said Rahman entered the drinking bar at the time under the pretext of buying a drink.
However, upon entering the premises, Rahman allegedly realised that both Nuertey and his salesgirl were asleep.
The prosecution said Rahman then opened a drawer in the bar and took away GH¢4,300 in cash, which represented the proceeds from the previous night’s sales.
ASP Lartey said Rahman subsequently left the premises with the money.
The theft was discovered after the complainant woke up and realised that the money had gone missing.
According to the prosecution, Nuertey immediately checked the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera installed at the drinking bar to establish what had happened.
ASP Lartey told the court that the CCTV footage captured Rahman entering the bar and stealing the money.
The complainant was subsequently able to identify Rahman from the footage.
The CCTV evidence therefore helped the complainant establish the identity of the person who had allegedly taken the cash during the early morning incident.
The prosecutor told the court that later that morning, at about 10:30am, Nuertey spotted Rahman at the Akoon community mine.
ASP Lartey said the complainant arrested Rahman and handed him over to the police to assist with investigations into the theft.
Rahman was subsequently processed for court after investigations into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the GH¢4,300.
The court was also informed that Rahman had previously been convicted by the Tarkwa District Court for causing harm.
His previous conviction formed part of the factors considered by the court in determining the appropriate sentence.
The court ultimately sentenced the 20-year-old small-scale miner to 24 months’ imprisonment in hard labour.
Source: Citi Newsroom
