Tarkwa: Two friends, who stole gold bearing stones valued at GHS15,000 from a grinding machine shop in Kaniankor Top, a suburb of Nsuaem, have been sentenced to a total of 16 months’ imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa District Court One. Ibrahim Asante and his accomplice, Kwame Ntiamoah, both galamsey operators, will each serve eight months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
According to Ghana News Agency, Inspector of Police Patrick Essien, the prosecutor, informed the court presided over by Mr. Charles Owusu Nsiah that the complainant, Francis Ankomah, owns the grinding machine shop and resides in the same community as the convicts. Asante had previously worked for the complainant for a fee over several months.
The incident occurred when the complainant gave Asante an amount of GHS320.00 for his upkeep before leaving for his hometown, Adansi Akrofuom, to celebrate the New Year. On January 3, 2025, Asante and Ntiamoah entered the complainant’s shop and stole the gold bearing stones. Afterward, Asante called the complainant to inform him that Ntiamoah had taken the stones.
The prosecutor revealed that upon receiving the information, the complainant returned to Kaniankor Top, arrested Ntiamoah, and handed him over to the Nsuaem police. During questioning, Ntiamoah claimed that Asante had invited him to the shop to commit the crime. Asante confessed that they received GHS460.00 each from the theft, spent GHS200 for processing the stones, and gave another GHS200 to two individuals who assisted them.
However, Ntiamoah stated to the police that he received only GHS150.00 from Asante as his share of the loot.