A 36-year-old trader, Francis Amoako, has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment by a Circuit Court in Accra after pleading guilty to stealing an iPhone and cash from a friend.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Amoako to pay the remaining GH₵29,000 to the complainant within three months.
Failure to do so will result in an additional nine-month prison term, with both sentences running consecutively.
Amoako was convicted on his own plea after admitting to the charges of stealing, contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Particulars of the Offence:
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, stated that on September 15, 2024, at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region, Amoako stole an iPhone 11, valued at GH₵4,000, and cash amounting to $2,000 (GHC 52,000 in total), belonging to the complainant, Francisca Fabea Frimpong.
According to the prosecution, both the complainant and the accused are traders and friends. On the day of the incident, Amoako visited the complainant at her residence in Teshie.
After having lunch together, the complainant took a nap. Amoako then took advantage of her nap, stole the iPhone and cash, and fled the scene.
Upon waking, the complainant realized her belongings were missing and attempted to contact Amoako, but he ignored her calls and switched off his phone.
She subsequently reported the matter to the police, who used a tracking device to locate and arrest Amoako at a mobile money vendor’s shop in Odorkor.
During his arrest, the stolen iPhone and GH₵23,000 in cash were recovered from Amoako. He later admitted to the crime in his cautioned statement.
After the investigation, Amoako was charged with the offense and brought before the court, where he was convicted and sentenced.
The court has given Amoako three months to repay the outstanding GH₵29,000 or face additional imprisonment.
