A driver’s mate who stole four varieties of laptop computers and their chargers, a Bluetooth speaker and a table-top fridge from the Finance Ministry, has been jailed for six months.
This was after Isaac Peprah, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing at the Adabraka District Court and was convicted on his own plea.
Peprah, however, denied the charges of unlawful entry to commit a crime, namely stealing and causing unlawful damage.
The trial Judge, Mrs Abena Owusu Omenyo, struck out the two charges against Peprah following the conviction and sentencing.
The prosecution held that it would no longer pursue the two other charges following the conviction.
Peprah, aka Happiness, is said to have unlawfully entered the premises of the Ministry of Finance Annexe “E’ Treasury block on August 17, 2025, at about 5:00 am and made away with the items.
The retrieved laptops were returned to the Ministry of Finance personnel present in court.
Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Apeweh Achana said the complainant, Mahmud Ahmed, is the Acting Head of Security at the Ministry of Finance, and Peprah is a resident of Kokomba Agbogbolshie.
On August 17, 2025, at about 5:00 am, Peprah climbed the fence wall and entered the premises of the Ministry of Finance Annexe E, Treasury Block.
The prosecution said Peprah caused damage to five louvre blades and gained access to one of the offices on the first floor of the building and stole two Dell laptops.
The prosecution said Peprah again took some keys, which were kept at the office and used them to open another Office and stole a Dell and a Lenovo laptop together with their chargers, a West Pool tabletop fridge, and a Bluetooth speaker.
The court heard that Peprah brought the tabletop fridge from the first-floor office and hid it at a corner of the Ministry’s car park
The prosecution said the accused person, now a convict, came out of the premises holding a bag containing the four laptops.
The prosecution told the court that luck eluded him when a witness and a resident who were returning from jogging suspected him and quizzed him about the contents in his bag.
Sensing danger, Peprah ran towards the Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division Head Office.
The Prosecutor said the witness raised the alarm, which attracted a witness known as Emmanuel Teye, a Customs Officer, who was on duty together with other colleagues.
They chased Peprah, and he left the bag containing the laptops on the road.
The court heard Peprah was finally nabbed in front of the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment offices, and he was escorted to the Ministry's Police Station together with the laptops.
The prosecutor said Peprah led the Police to where he kept the tabletop fridge, and the same were retrieved, and pictures of the exhibits were taken.
In Peprah’s caution statement and in the presence of an independent witness, he admitted the offence.
GNA