Gardener sentenced five years for stealing air-condition units

A 32-year-old labourer, Kwabena Frimpong, has been handed a five-year prison sentence by the Adenta Circuit Court after pleading guilty to stealing three outdoor air-conditioning units from his employer.

Frimpong, who worked as a gardener for a retired university lecturer in Amrahia, Accra, committed the theft while on duty in March this year. According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Eric Ransford Abban, Frimpong had been in the lecturer’s service for five years before betraying that trust.

The stolen units, valued at GH¢12,000, were reportedly dismantled and removed from the complainant’s residence while Frimpong was carrying out routine work in the compound. After the theft, he disappeared without a trace.

During his court appearance, Frimpong explained that he was pushed by financial hardship and pressure from his pregnant wife, who had asked for money. He admitted to selling each unit for just GH¢1,000 to an acquaintance named Ebenezer, who he claimed lives in Dawhenya. Efforts by the police to locate Ebenezer have so far been unsuccessful.

He was eventually arrested at a construction site near Kotoka International Airport after weeks of evading authorities. Despite his confession and cooperation, he failed to assist in retrieving the stolen items.

Presiding Judge Sarah Nyarkoa Nkansa accepted his guilty plea but delayed sentencing to consider all circumstances. The court has now imposed a custodial sentence of five years, taking into account the breach of trust and lack of recovery of the stolen property.