A 44-year-old transcriber has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by a Circuit Court in Accra for stealing and deceiving a public officer.

Alex Ofosu dishonestly appropriated a Samsung Galaxy A16 mobile phone valued at GH¢2,500, a folding desktop phone stand valued at GH¢200 and a black smartwatch valued at GH¢200.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, told the court, presided over by Mrs Emmanuella Sarah Asmah, that the offences were detected through police investigations.

When arrested and questioned about the phone, Ofosu told police that one Joe, a phone dealer at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, had sold it to him.

During the investigation, Ofosu’s brother produced the black smartwatch and the folding desktop phone stand found in Ofosu’s room.

Charged with stealing and deceiving a police officer, Ofosu pleaded guilty, was convicted on his own plea, and was sentenced accordingly.

The court heard that on February 27, 2026, the complainants, Kugbey Kofi Mawuli and Alexander Oduro, both students at the University of Ghana, Legon, reported to the Legon Police that on February 26, 2026, at about 0930 hours, while writing an examination, their bag had been stolen.

The prosecution said the bag contained mobile phones, including an iPhone 17 Pro Max valued at GH¢18,000 and a Samsung Galaxy A16 valued at GH¢2,500, among other items.

The complainants' efforts to trace the phones were unsuccessful.

Police took statements from the complainants and filed an originating motion to identify the users of the stolen phones.

On March 22, 2026, itemised billing identified Ofosu, a transcriber residing at Madina, as the user of the Samsung Galaxy A16 phone.

The prosecution said Ofosu was invited by police but failed to report and rather sent the phone through an okada rider.

He was later arrested at his residence and, while being escorted to the police station, told police that he had bought the phone from a dealer at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

However, when police visited the location, it was established that Ofosu did not buy the phone from the said dealer.

In his caution statement, Ofosu later claimed that a friend bought the phone for him but said he did not know the whereabouts of the said friend and had no contact with him.

The court further heard that Bernard Jantuah, a brother of the accused, submitted the smartwatch and folding desktop phone stand retrieved from Ofosu’s room as exhibits.

Ofosu admitted the offence, and Oduro identified the items as his property.