‎Carpenter Fined GH¢2,400 Over Cocoa Theft

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‎The Nsuta Circuit Court in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region has fined a 47-year-old carpenter, Kwame Boadu, GH¢2,400 for stealing a half bag of dried cocoa beans valued at GH¢943.

‎The court, presided over by His Lordship Simon Nketiah Gagah, imposed the fine on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Boadu will, in default, serve 24 months’ imprisonment.

‎According to the prosecution, led by Detective Chief Inspector Isaac Gidiglo, the complainant, Elder Thomas Mensah, is a trader and cocoa buyer who owns a cocoa shed at Kofiase, where Boadu also resides.

‎The prosecution said that on September 23, 2026, at about 12:30 p.m., Boadu was spotted unlawfully within the premises of the complainant’s cocoa shed carrying a half sack of dried cocoa beans.

‎‎The complainant, who was then on his farm, was reportedly informed by a witness that Boadu had been seen carrying cocoa beans from the shed.

‎The witness confronted Boadu and warned him to return the beans, which he initially did.

‎However, later that same day, Boadu  returned to the cocoa shed and stole the half bag of dried cocoa beans.

‎Upon his return, the complainant assessed the missing cocoa beans at 23 kilogrammes, with a value of GH¢943. Efforts to arrest Boadu initially proved unsuccessful.

‎The prosecution told the court that intelligence gathered subsequently led to Boadu’s arrest from his hideout on September 29, 2026.

‎‎During the taking of his caution statement in the presence of an independent witness, Boadu reportedly admitted the offence and disclosed that he had sold the stolen cocoa beans to an unknown person for GH¢600.

‎‎In court, Boadu pleaded guilty with an explanation. He claimed that what he had carried was a torn cement bag, which he had placed inside a cocoa sack.

‎He further explained that he initially placed the cement bag in front of the complainant’s cocoa shed before later carrying it to his house, which he said was currently located on his premises.

‎The court, however, rejected the explanation, finding it unclear and unconvincing.

‎The judge noted that if the item was indeed cement, Boadu could have placed it in a pan rather than a cocoa sack.

‎The court subsequently entered a plea of guilty against him and sentenced him to a fine of GH¢2,400, or 24 months’ imprisonment in default.