Scrap dealer jailed three months for stealing metals in Kumasi

A 30-year-old scrap dealer, Yakubu Zakari, has been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment by the Kwadaso Circuit Court for stealing metal items at Bomso in Kumasi.

Zakari, who resides at Aboabo, pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing but was found guilty after a full trial presided over by Mr. Jephthah Appau.

Presenting the facts of the case, Police Chief Inspector David Opoku Kwabi said the complainant, Obeng Abayie, a trader at Bomso, spotted Zakari carrying a sack containing four metal bracings in front of his shop around 2:20 p.m. on January 13, 2025.

Suspecting the items belonged to him, the complainant rushed home and discovered that the door to his garage had been broken and the metal bracings were missing.

He immediately pursued the suspect and apprehended him at Bomso Top High, where Zakari was attempting to load the stolen items onto a tricycle.

Mr. Abayie raised an alarm, drawing the attention of nearby police officers, who arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect.

A search conducted at the Bomso Police Charge Office led to the recovery of several items, including a frying pan, a cutlass, four metal bracings, a pinch bar, a hammer, fan parts, and four iron rods, all valued at an amount yet to be determined.

In his caution statement, Zakari denied the allegations, claiming he had purchased the items from two unidentified young men at Bomso.

However, he failed to provide proof of purchase or assist police in tracing the alleged sellers.

Following investigations, Zakari was charged with stealing and convicted by the court.

GNA