Accra: Alex Ofosu, a 44-year-old transcriber, has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment by a Circuit Court in Accra for stealing and deceiving a public officer. Ofosu was found guilty of dishonestly appropriating a Samsung Galaxy A16 mobile phone valued at GHS2,500, a folding desktop phone stand valued at GHS200, and a black smartwatch valued at GHS200.
According to Ghana News Agency, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, informed the court, presided over by Mrs Emmanuella Sarah Asmah, that these offences were uncovered through police investigations. Upon arrest, Ofosu claimed that he acquired the phone from a dealer named Joe at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
Further investigations revealed that Ofosu's brother produced the black smartwatch and the folding desktop phone stand that were discovered in Ofosu's room. Charged with stealing and deceiving a police officer, Ofosu pleaded guilty, leading to his conviction based on his own plea.
The court was informed that on February 27, 2026, complainants Kugbey Kofi Mawuli and Alexander Oduro, students at the University of Ghana, Legon, reported the theft of their bag on February 26, 2026, while they were writing an examination. The bag contained mobile phones, including an iPhone 17 Pro Max valued at GHS18,000 and a Samsung Galaxy A16 valued at GHS2,500.
Despite their efforts, the complainants could not trace the phones. Police took their statements and filed for an originating motion to identify the users of the stolen phones. By March 22, 2026, itemised billing identified Ofosu, residing in Madina, as the user of the Samsung Galaxy A16 phone.
Although the police invited Ofosu for questioning, he failed to report and instead sent the phone through an okada rider. Subsequently, he was arrested at his residence. During his escort to the police station, Ofosu reiterated his claim of purchasing the phone from a dealer at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, but the police found no evidence of such a transaction.
In his caution statement, Ofosu later alleged that a friend had bought the phone for him, but he could not provide details of the friend's whereabouts or contact information. The court also noted that Bernard Jantuah, Ofosu's brother, submitted the smartwatch and phone stand that were retrieved from Ofosu's room. Ofosu confessed to the crime, and Oduro identified the items as his belongings.