A 27-year-old small-scale miner, who allegedly connived with his brother-in-law to steal gold worth GH¢30,000 from a gold-buying shop at Nsuaem, has been sentenced to 18 months imprison­ment in hard labour by the Tarkwa District Magistrate Court I.

Emmanuel Mensah, charged with conspiracy and stealing, pleaded guilty. Mensah’s accomplice, Adu Quaye, is, however, at large.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Douglas Addae, narrated to the court presided over by Mr Charles Owusu Nsiah that the complainant, Severin Mouity, is a gold buyer and the accused lives at Nsuaem, in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

He said the complainant owned a gold-buying shop, a few meters away from Royal Midway Hotel, in Nsuaem.

According to Sergeant Addae, on December 5, last year, the complainant received gold valued at GH¢30,000 from customers and kept the same in a drawer after the day’s work.

He said on December 6, 2022, the complainant reported for work only to detect that thieves had broken into his office through the ceiling and made away with the gold.

The prosecution said the complainant rushed to the Nsuaem Police Station and lodged a complaint.

Sergeant Addae said during investigations, the accused person’s name came up, and the police invaded his place of abode, but they were told he had travelled.

The court heard that Mensah went into hiding until luck eluded him, and he was arrested by the Agona Police on September 11, 2023.

The Prosecutor said during investigations, the accused person admitted that he stole the gold from the complainant’s shop with his broth­er-in-law, Adu Quaye, and they sold it for GH¢2,700 of which he had GH¢1,200 as his share.

He said the convict further said he went and sought refuge at Alabanka­ta his grandmother’s hometown, a community along the Dixcove road in the Western Region.

Sergeant Addae said the police have mounted a search to arrest Adu Quaye for prosecution.