A bus conductor has been jailed for four weeks at the Winneba Local Prison in the Central Region for stealing air conditions despite his protest of innocence.
His imprisonment comes following his inability to pay a court fine of Ghc 2,400.
Yaw George said police prosecutors from the Kasoa Police command told the court that he (George) stole air conditions, copper wires, and some thrashed roofing sheets, which led to his conviction.
Speaking to crimecheckghana.org during a visit to the prison, the young man confessed to taking the roofing sheets but denied stealing any air-conditioning or copper wires.
“The allegations that I stole the air-conditions and the copper is false. I should rot in prison if it is true that I stole the items,” he swore.
According to George, his troubles started when he accompanied a friend to work at a construction site as a labourer because he was idle that fateful day.
Unfortunately for them, he said when they got to the site, the job had been completed. Disappointedly, they saw scraps of some roofing sheets used at the site and took them.
“I got Ghc 100 after selling the abandoned roofing sheets,” he recalled.
George said he went to the construction site the following day, only to meet some shop owners who accused him of stealing their air conditions and copper wires.
“I told them that we only took the roofing sheets but they did not believe me,” he said.
Upon several attempts to prove his innocence, his accusers did not budge and handed him over to the police at Kasoa who processed him for court.
“Also in court, I told the truth that I only took the roofing sheets so I was given a court bail but I did not get anybody to help me,” he said.
George said he was on remand for seven months after which the court sentenced him one-month.
Crime Check Foundation (CCF) paid his fine for his release through the support of actress Nana Ama McBrown.
Rudolph Nandi
