Two construction workers jailed three years each for stealing floor tiles

The Adenta Circuit Court has sentenced two construction workers to three years’ imprisonment each in hard labour for stealing 15 boxes of floor tiles valued at GH¢4,000 from their employer’s warehouse.

The convicts — Abdul Ganuie, 28, a mason, and Godwin Akpai, 31, a carpenter — were found guilty after a full trial that began in March 2025.

Presiding Judge Mrs. Sarah Nyakoa Nkansa convicted the pair on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and stealing, ruling that the prosecution had established the case beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, the complainant, Frank Hadzi, a foreman with a construction firm in Accra, reported the matter after discovering the theft at the company’s Adenta Aviation warehouse.

On March 12, 2025, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Ganuie and Akpai reportedly hired a Hyundai Getz with registration number GW-6880-22 and proceeded to the warehouse. There, they loaded 15 boxes of floor tiles into the car without authorization.

A vigilant co-worker noticed their suspicious activity and raised an alarm, leading to their immediate arrest by colleagues at the site.

During questioning, the two confessed they had planned to sell the tiles at Abossey Okai, a popular spare parts market in Accra.

The prosecution told the court that both men admitted to the offence in their caution statements during police investigations.

Delivering her judgment, Mrs. Nkansa condemned the convicts’ betrayal of trust, emphasizing that such acts undermine workplace discipline and accountability.

She subsequently sentenced each of them to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour, noting that the punishment should serve as a deterrent to others in the construction industry.