A 28-year-old unemployed, Emmanuel Takyi, who was put before the Tarkwa circuit court for stealing and preparing to rob his former employer, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and was convicted by the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu.

The prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Abraham Ayitey, said the complainant is a gold buyer and resident of Wassa Japa in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality, but hails from Derma, in the Tano South District of the Ahafo Region with Takyi.

He said about two months ago, Takyi was one of the employees at the complainant’s gold refinery shop at Wassa Dadieso near Wassa Akropong.

During the period, Takyi stole an amount of GH¢28,000 from the gold shop and went to lodge in Koforidua where he decided to travel outside the country but ended up squandering all the money.

Prosecutor said later, Takyi prepared himself and liaised with the witness in the case and decided to return to Wassa Akropong and rob the complainant in one of his gold shops.

The witness who hails from the same town as the complainant, pretended he was interested in the deal, but secretly informed the complainant through one of his workers about Takyi’s motive.

He said Takyi and the witness planned to carry out the operation on Sunday September 29, 2024, but the police got wind of the case on the same day when someone hinted them at the Wassa Akropong police station.

On the said day at about 7:00 pm, the police received detailed information about the trip such as the registration number of the vehicle they boarded from Kumasi to Wassa Akropong, the attire Takyi was wearing and where he was seated in the vehicle.

Chief Inspector Ayitey said the police mounted a temporal barrier at Nkonya near Wassa Akropong and when the vehicle arrived, they arrested Takyi together with the witness, where he admitted the offence in his caution statement and alleged he was going through hardship and that was why he stole from the complainant and planned to rob him as well.