Court Jails Driver 5 Years For Stealing Toyota Bus

The Amasaman Circuit Court has sentenced a 35-year-old driver, Kwadwo Larbi, to five years' imprisonment with hard labour for the theft of a Toyota bus valued at GH¢70,000.

Larbi pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and was accordingly convicted by Justice Enid Marful-Sau, a High Court judge sitting with additional responsibility at the Circuit Court. However, he denied conspiring with one Godwin Baah, an alleged accomplice who is currently at large.

Presenting the facts, Police Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru told the court that the complainant, Mr. Joseph Addy, a businessman residing in North Kaneshie, owned a white Toyota bus with registration number GT 4403-15. The vehicle had been assigned to a commercial driver, Yaw Mensah.According to the prosecution, the bus developed a mechanical fault and was parked at Sarpeiman along the Accra–Nsawam road. Mr. Addy, after being informed of the situation, visited the location with a mechanic in an attempt to repair the vehicle. However, the repair work could not be completed at the time.

On June 3, 2025, while en route to continue the repairs, Mr. Addy received a call from his driver informing him that the bus had been stolen and could no longer be traced. A formal report was immediately filed at the Amasaman Police Station.

Subsequent investigations led to a breakthrough on June 7, 2025, around 1:30 p.m., when police received intelligence that the stolen bus had been towed to a scrap yard in Kasoa by Larbi, who intended to sell it. The Kasoa Police swiftly responded and arrested the accused.

In his cautioned statement, Larbi alleged that he had been contracted by an individual identified as Baah, a resident of Sarpeiman, to tow and sell the bus as scrap. However, Larbi failed to assist police in locating the said Baah.

Following investigations, Larbi was charged and brought before the court, where he admitted to the theft. He is to serve a five-year custodial sentence with hard labour.