Kwame Asare and Bismark Kobby, both 20 years old and unemployed, were fined GHS 6,000 each by the Nkawie Circuit Court on charges of stealing parts from an excavator in the Ashanti Region. The court also sentenced them to three months in prison if they fail to pay the fine.
The incident took place on September 5, 2026, in Bonteso, a community within the Amansie West District. The men broke into the home of Nana Osei Kwadwo, a local businessman, and stole an excavator engine blade, a control board, and other components valued at GHS 144,000.
Police Sergeant Ernest Derry, who prosecuted the case, said the stolen items were recovered after the complainant conducted his own investigation. Neighbours assisted in identifying and apprehending the suspects, who were then handed over to the Ahwerewa police.
In court, Asare and Kobby pleaded guilty to conspiracy and stealing, leading to their conviction on the basis of their own admissions. During questioning, they cited economic hardship in Bonteso as their motivation, stating that “there was too much hunger in the town,” and they intended to survive on proceeds from selling the stolen parts.
The suspects revealed that the stolen items had been sold for GHS 6,500 to a man named Obolo, who remains at large.
Mr Robert Addo, the presiding judge, handed down the fines and prison sentences during the hearing at Nkawie Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality.
The case drew attention to local challenges in Bonteso, where the accused cited hunger as a factor in their crime. The whereabouts of Obolo, the buyer of the stolen excavator parts, remain unknown to authorities.
According to Joy Online.
