Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 36-year-old unemployed ex-convict, Foster Nyarko, to six years and one month of hard labour after he was found guilty of stealing from two government institutions, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs, and Employment, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Nyarko, who pleaded guilty, begged for leniency, citing his responsibility for a seven-year-old daughter.
However, the presiding judge, Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, dismissed his plea, stating that keeping him away from his child was in her best interest, as children often emulate their parents’ actions.
Despite receiving multiple sentences, the court ruled that they should run concurrently, meaning he will serve a maximum of two years in prison.
Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori Appiah detailed Nyarko’s criminal activities, starting with his first theft on December 4, 2024, at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs, and Employment.
Nyarko had posed as a job seeker interested in a cleaning position and was directed to the Human Resource Director. Instead of proceeding there, he made his way to the second floor, where he found the office of Deputy Director Daniel Sakyi Asiedu unoccupied. He then stole an HP laptop worth GH¢24,745.00, concealed it in his backpack, and left it unnoticed. Investigations later revealed that he had sold the laptop in Takoradi to an unknown buyer.
On October 22, 2024, Nyarko targeted CHRAJ headquarters using a different scheme. Claiming to be following up on an application, he gained access to Room 15 of the Human Resource Department. Once inside, he found the office empty and stole a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G mobile phone worth GH¢4,999.00, belonging to Celis-Jane Nyadroh, a Principal Administrator.
However, this time, CCTV cameras captured the theft, and a report was filed at the Ministries Police Station.
For months, Nyarko managed to evade capture. His luck ran out on January 30, 2025, when he was caught attempting another theft at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Upon arrest, he confessed to stealing the mobile phone. He was subsequently charged with unlawful entry and stealing, offenses under Sections 152 and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Despite his repeated pleas for mercy, the court handed down a custodial sentence, underscoring its commitment to deterring repeat offenders.
