Hohoe (V/R), May 10, GNA – A Hohoe Magistrate Court has sentenced a farmer, Amoako Godwin, 29, and Ayima Frank, 30, a mason, have been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for conspiring to commit crime and stealing.
They both pleaded guilty to the charges and prayed to the court for pardon but their plea for pardon were not taken.
Their pleas were not taken and they were sentenced to 12 months each by the Court.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, told the court, presided over by Madam Edith Lucy Dzomeku, that the complainant was a student of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Hohoe campus, while the convicts were, “friends and native of Peki.”
He said on April 29, 2022, both accused persons conspired to pose as pastors to steal from unsuspecting citizens in the Hohoe township.
On the same day at about 0740 hours, Amoako was sitting in front of a store at Segbedeme and saw the victim passing and beckoned her to come.
Chief Inspector Aziati said victim obliged.
Amoako introduced himself as a prophet and also claimed that he had seen something about the victim, which he wanted to inform her about.
He said while Amoako was sharing the words with the victim, Ayima was passing and Amoako asked the victim to call Ayima for him since he had seen a vision that involved him also.
Chief Inspector Aziati said Ayima came and Amoako told him that he had seen that he (Ayima) had an amount of money on him, which he confirmed adding that, in the process, Amoako asked the victim to go with Ayima and bring salt for prayers, which they both obliged.
He said when the victim and Ayima returned, Amoako asked the victim to leave her bag containing a Lenovo laptop valued GH₵3,000 and Samsung A3 Core mobile phone also valued GH₵700 with Ayima so that he (Amoako) and the victim could have a prayer encounter at a distance.
Chief Inspector Aziati said when the victim and Amoako returned, Ayima had bolted with the bag containing the electronic gadgets.
That compelled the victim to report the incident to Police at Hohoe, leading to the arrest of the convicts, who subsequently admitted the offence in their cautioned statement.
He said Police retrieved the bag containing the laptop without the phone as Amoako alleged that it was taken away from him by an unidentified man at the Hohoe lorry station.
Madam Dzormeku believed the sentence would serve as deterrence to would-be culprits that the law is ready to punish such behaviours.
GNA