The Akim Swedru Circuit Court on Friday sentenced Kwabena Ebo Dadzie, a basket weaver to six years imprisonment for stealing railway shanks, property of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC).
Dadzie, 45, pleaded guilty to stealing the shanks.
Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Eric Awiadem told the court, presided over by Mr. Edward Apenkwah that, of late, there had been rampant stealing of railway shanks in the area.
On September 23, at about 1400 hours, the complainant, Mr. Emmanuel Takyi, an employee of the GRC detected fresh removal of the shanks from the rails while on his usual inspection on the Achiase-Osorase rail line.
Sgt. Awiadem said Mr. Takyi traced Dadzie to a place where a fertiliser sack loaded with shanks were hidden in a nearby bush, but Dadzie bolted.
He stated that the complainant then laid ambush till the convict emerged to carry the booty away, but with the assistance of witnesses in the case, Dadzie was chased, arrested and escorted together with the booty to the police station.