A 24‑year‑old driver’s mate, Gideon Owusu, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by the Asante Akropong District Court for unlawful damage, attempted crime and stealing at Abuakwa, near Akropong in the Ashanti Region.
Owusu pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted on his own plea by the court, presided over by Emmanuel Wiafe Adu.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Alexander Agbekpornu, told the court that the complainant, Adams Mohammed, is the manager of Chemico Limited and resides in Sunyani, while the convict lives at Abuakwa‑Asenemaso.
Agbekpornu said that on October 9, 2026, at about 10:50 p.m., Mohammed was driving his Mitsubishi pickup truck, registration GE 2257‑16, from Kumasi to Sunyani when he detected a fault with the vehicle near Abuakwa‑Asenemaso.
Mohammed subsequently parked the vehicle by the roadside, locked it and lodged at a nearby hotel for the night.
At about 2:30 a.m. the following day, a team from the Ashanti Regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, led by Chief Inspector Justice Agyekum Asiamah and Chief Inspector Emmanuel Boah, spotted the vehicle during a routine night patrol along the Abuakwa‑Manhyia road.
The officers stopped to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the convict had broken the rear door window, forcibly removed the car tape valued at GH¢4,500 and was still inside the vehicle.
When the officers questioned Owusu about his presence in the vehicle, he reportedly told them that he had gone there to sleep. The explanation did not satisfy the officers, who arrested him and handed him over to the Abuakwa Police for further investigation at about 7:00 a.m. that same day.
The prosecutor said Mohammed later reported the incident to the police, and investigations established that he was the owner of the vehicle.
In his caution statement to the police, Owusu admitted damaging the vehicle’s windscreen, valued at GH¢7,000, and stealing the car tape.
Following further investigations, he was charged with the offences and arraigned before the court, where he pleaded guilty and was subsequently sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
He will begin serving his sentence at the Ashanti Regional Prison the following week, with the court ordering a full restitution of the damaged property to the complainant.
