The Tema Circuit Court has recently handed down sentences to two individuals involved in the theft of 1,146 bags of rice worth GH₵846,000.
Abdul Karim Abdul Aziz, a 36-year-old driver, received five years each for conspiracy to commit a crime and stealing, while Ibrahim Mohammed, a 49-year-old transport agent, was sentenced to 12 years each with hard labor for the same offenses. These sentences will run concurrently.
The court, presided over by Klorkor Okai Mills, found the accused individuals guilty after a full trial, following their initial plea of not guilty.
According to Chief Inspector Jacob Maalo Kuubal, the prosecuting attorney, the complainant, Mr. Emmanuel Quaye Nartey, is a clearing agent, while Aziz is a driver, and Mohammed, also known as Baba Alhassan, is a transport agent. One accomplice, Abdul Rahman Suleman, is currently on the run.
The incident took place on July 29, 2023, when Aziz was hired to transport the bags of rice from MPS Tema to the Trade Pass Commodities warehouse in Tema. Instead, Aziz and Mohammed decided to sell the rice in Prampram, where it was offloaded and sold. Mohammed even took Aziz to the residence of a witness, where they planned the sale of the rice.
Following police investigations, Aziz absconded to Tamale after receiving payments for the stolen rice. However, he was eventually arrested in the Western Region.
During the investigation, Aziz admitted to conspiring with Mohammed and Suleman to divert and sell the rice.
