Lawrence Oppong Kyeremeh, 23, a farmer has been sentenced to a fine of GHC 200 by a circuit court in Dormaa Ahenkro for stealing 324 fowls from a poultry farm.
Kyeremeh, who initially pleaded not guilty to stealing the fowls will serve 18 months in prison should he fail to pay the fine.
The court presided over by Justice V.C. Senu further ordered Kyeremeh to pay compensation of GHC 600 to Mr. Roland Yaw Danquah, owner of Jordan poultry farms as 'partial atonement' for the lost fowls.
Mr.Kofi Owusu, a security man at the poultry farm, who was initially linked to the theft, was acquitted for want of evidence.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Yeboah, told the court that in 2008 the poultry owner detected a drastic reduction in the number of his birds and commenced his own investigations.
He said at 1400 hours on August 15 this year, the farmer whilst on board a taxi on his way from the farm; saw Kyeremeh on a bicycle and holding a polythene bag filled with unknown contents.
"The farmer sensed mischief so asked the taxi driver to turn and chase Kyeremeh. Realizing that he was being chased, he abandoned his bicycle and the polythene bag and took to his heels".
The prosecutor said when the polythene bag was searched, three well-dressed full chicken pieces were found in it.
In his cautioned statement, Kyeremeh denied theft claiming he picked three dead fowls from a dump hill near his house.
The same court imposed a GHC 50 fine and in default six months imprisonment on Kofi Francis, a trader at Dormaa-Ahenkro, for stealing a cell phone belonging to his former employer.
Chief Inspector Yeboah told the court the accused used to work at the complainant's chop bar at Dormaa-Ahenkro and used to visit the chop bar operator.
He said on August 24 this year, Kofi Francis paid another visit to his former employer but stole the latter's mobile phone when she went in to relieve herself.
Francis initially denied any knowledge of the phone but later broke down and confessed that he picked it and gave it to his girl-friend who had gone away with it.
He has since replaced the stolen phone.