Emmanuel Mensah, a 27-year-old small-scale miner, has been sentenced to 18 months of hard labour in prison by the Tarkwa District Magistrate Court One for his involvement in the theft of gold valued at GH¢30,000 from a gold-buying shop in Nsuaem. Mensah's brother-in-law and accomplice, Adu Quaye, remains at large.
Emmanuel Mensah, charged with conspiracy and stealing, pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution was led by Sergeant Douglas Addae, who provided details of the case to the court presided over by Mr Charles Owusu Nsiah.
The complainant, Severin Mouity, is a gold buyer residing in Nsuaem, located in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. The accused, Emmanuel Mensah, also lived in the same vicinity. Mouity operated a gold-buying shop a few meters away from the Royal Midway Hotel in Nsuaem.
Sergeant Addae recounted that on December 5th of the previous year, Mouity received gold valued at GH¢30,000 from customers and secured it in a drawer after completing the day's work. However, when Mouity returned to his shop on December 6, 2022, he discovered that thieves had broken into his office through the ceiling and stolen the gold.
The complainant promptly reported the theft to the Nsuaem Police Station. During the course of the investigation, the name of the accused, Emmanuel Mensah, surfaced as a suspect. When the police went to his residence, they were informed that he had left town.
Sergeant Addae revealed that Mensah remained in hiding until his arrest by the Agona Police on September 11, 2023. During questioning, Mensah admitted to stealing the gold from the complainant's shop in collaboration with his brother-in-law, Adu Quaye. They subsequently sold the stolen gold for GH¢2,700, with Mensah receiving GH¢1,200 as his share of the proceeds.
Mensah further disclosed that he sought refuge in Alabankata, his grandmother's hometown, located along the Dixcove road in the Western Region. Meanwhile, the police have launched a search for the arrest of Adu Quaye to face prosecution.
