The Circuit Court 3 in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Susana Eduful, has sentenced a 25-year-old man to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing 277 cartons of empty containers valued at GH¢316,317.00.
The convict, Richard Yevugah, was found guilty after a full trial and convicted on a charge of stealing contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo led the prosecution.
Case Background
According to the facts presented in court, the complainant, Abdul Mumuni Ahmed, a herbalist residing at Nima, uses moringa snuff as part of his herbal treatment products. He employed Yevugah to assist in producing the snuff.
Mr. Ahmed reportedly purchased 419 cartons of empty bottles valued at GH¢336,327 to be used for packaging the herbal product, out of which he had received 277 cartons. These were stored in two rooms at Nima, with Yevugah given a spare key for safekeeping.
Shortly after the purchase, the complainant fell ill and halted production. On June 11, 2022, at about 7:15 p.m., a witness, Suraji Alhassan Ahmed, informed him that Yevugah had loaded the containers into a vehicle and moved them away.
The complainant rushed to the storage facility and found all the containers missing. He confronted Yevugah at his residence and subsequently accompanied him to the Nima Police Station to lodge a complaint.
During police investigations, Yevugah admitted in his caution statement that he had taken 100 of the boxes and used them to package snuff he produced personally, which he later transported to Nigeria for sale without his employer’s knowledge.
Upon completion of investigations, he was charged and brought before the court. After deliberations, Her Honour Susana Eduful sentenced him to eight years imprisonment with hard labour.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
