The Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced an employee of Samatex Timber and Plywood Company Limited to five years imprisonment with hard labour.

This is for damaging and stealing electrical cables worth GH¢137,046 belonging to his employer.

Samuel Agyiri, 28, a pump mechanic, pleaded guilty to causing unlawful damage and stealing.

The prosecution, led by Police Detective Chief Inspector Adams Mumuni, told the court presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu, that the complainant, Aziz Yakubu, is a security officer of Samatex Timber and Plywood Company Limited.

He said the complainant resided in Samreboi No. 2 quarters, while Agyiri lived close to the Samreboi Gyantima road, both in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality.

Detective Chief Inspector Mumuni, on March 11, 2025, at about 0900 hours, Peter Adakabilla, the manager in charge of the company’s powerhouse, saw Agyiri roaming around the place within the powerhouse called ‘bars,’ where electrical cables were connected to the facility.

The Prosecution said that when the manager asked Agyiri about his mission there, he said he was not doing anything, so he was reassigned to go and work at the hogging yard.

On the same day at about 1430 hours, the manager saw Agyiri again loitering around the powerhouse and warned him to leave the premises and go home as he had already closed for the day.

He said about 15:15 hours, while the manager was at the hogging yard working, he saw Agyiri pushing a wheelbarrow towards the factory fence near the moulding mill and suspected he had stolen something he ordered him to stop.

Detective Chief Inspector Mumuni said, knowing that he would be arrested, Agyiri abandoned the wheelbarrow, picked an item and wrapped it with a polythene bag and made a swift exit.

The manager quickly contacted the complainant on the phone, and he pursued Agyiri using a motorbike and managed to arrest him.

Prosecution said the convict then confessed to the complainant that he had stolen some cables and led him to a nearby bush where they were retrieved.

Agyiri was handed over to the Samreboi police, where he admitted the offence in his caution statement and claimed financial difficulties compelled him to steal.

During the ruling, the judge directed the police to hand over the items they had retrieved to the company.