COURT DEFERS SENTENCE (PAGE 30)

Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

A Kumasi circuit court, Presided over by Justice Ernest Yao Obimpeh, has  deferred the sentence of a middle aged unemployed man who was found guilty ofthree counts of stealing to May 30,2008..
The suspect, Abdul Alhassan, who pleaded guilty to stealing a KIA Pride taxi, two Mercedez Benz engines and three gear boxes, was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before the court on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.
He has been remanded in prison custody pending the sentence, while police hunt for his two accomplices one Mustapha and Musah, now at large.
They  were alleged to have conspired  together to steal the  KIA Pride taxi with registration number AS 754 V, belonging to one Theophilous Adusei Sarfo.
They were also alleged to have stolen  two engines and three gear boxes valued at GH¢5000.00 belonging to one Nana Anderson.
Chief Inspector Owusu Manu, who prosecuted, told the court that, the complainants in the case, Theophilous Adusei Sarfo and Nana Anderson,  resided at Suame and Gyinyasi respectively.
He said while Adusei Sarfo is a trader, Nana Anderson is a mechanic whose workshop is located at Boadi in Kumasi.
Chief Inspector Owusu Manu said around 2:30 a.m. on April 29, 2008, Abdul Alhassan, together with the two at large, sneaked into Adusei Sarfo’s house at New Suame and succeeded in stealing his KIA Pride taxi with registration number AS 754 V.
 He said moments after stealing the car, they sent it to the garage belonging to Nana Anderson at Boadi, attacked the security man there and stole two Mercedez Benz engines and three gear boxes, valued at GH¢5000 and sped off.
He said while escaping with their booty, the fuel in the  car run out, and this compelled them to stop in the middle of the road  for the two at large to buy more fuel.
He said on their way, they asked Abdul Alhassan to remain in the car and a few distance away, some volunteers suspecting them to be thieves pursued them.
He said to save their lives, the two took to their heels and left their accomplice alone in the car.
According to the prosecutor, the volunteers later found Abdul Alhassan asleep in the car and when they questioned him about what he was doing alone in the middle of the road, he could not provide any tangible answers, so he was arrested and handed over to the police.
He said in his caution statement, Alhassan admitted conspiring with the two at large to steal the car and the other items, and gave their names as Mustapha and Musah.
He said after investigations, he was charged with the offence.