A 16-year-old school dropout who was involved in a number of stealing cases was on Monday committed to the Senior Correctional Centre at Maamobi, a suburb of Accra, for six months by the Kade Juvenile Court.
Kofi Babone (not his real name) faced charges of conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry, stealing and attempting to commit crime of stealing
and possessing instrument intended or adapted for unlawful entry.
He pleaded guilty to all the charges.
The court said he should go to the Centre to go through proper counseling and trade training.
His parents were ordered to pay GHC 400 to Comfort Clottey whose shop and drinking bar Babone stole drinks and provisions from, with a colleague
now at large.
The boy said he planned to get money through breaking into shops at Adankrono, so on February 15, he and a friend moved to Comfort's shop at
about 0100 hours.
They managed to get into the shop using a metal bar, which they used to remove its wooden boards.
They collected some drinks and left the spot to share their booty, some of which they sold to drug peddlers at a base.
A week later, they broke into Comfort's provisions shop and stole rice and other items.
On February 26 Babone decided to go solo, so he left home at about 01.00 hours and went to Kwasi Amoah's shop but unfortunately he was seen and
he took to his heels and hid in his room.
A crowd chased and arrested him and sent him to the police station.
The court said that Babone's possession of implements for unlawful purposes could lead to the use of arms if not checked, hence the need to send him for proper counseling.