The Amasaman Circuit Court has sentenced a 35-year-old driver to five years' imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a Toyota bus valued at GH¢70,000.

Kwadwo Larbi pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted accordingly by Justice Enid Marful-Sau, a High Court Judge with additional responsibility at the Circuit Court.

However, he denied conspiring with one Godwin Baah, currently at large.

Presenting the facts, Police Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru said the complainant, Mr Joseph Addy, a businessman residing at North Kaneshie, owned a white Toyota bus with registration number GT 4403-15, which he had given to a commercial driver, Yaw Mensah.

He said the vehicle developed a mechanical fault while in use and was parked at Sarpeiman on the Accra-Nsawam road.

Mr Addy was informed and later visited the location with a mechanic to conduct repairs, which could not be completed.

“On June 3, 2025, the complainant and the mechanic were enroute to Sarpeiman to finish the repair work when he received a call from his driver that the vehicle had been stolen and could not be traced,” Chief Inspector Nashiru told the court.

A formal complaint was lodged at the Amasaman Police Station.

On June 7, 2025, around 1330 hours, police received a tip-off that Larbi had towed the vehicle to a scrap yard in Kasoa, intending to sell it.

The Kasoa Police acted promptly and arrested Larbi.

In his cautioned statement, he claimed one Baah of Sarpeiman had contracted him to tow and sell the bus as scrap.

However, Larbi was unable to help police trace the said accomplice. After investigations, he was charged and arraigned before the court.