A 28-year-old pump mechanic has been handed a five-year prison term with hard labour after being found guilty of tampering with and stealing industrial cables worth GH¢137,046 from Samatex Timber and Plywood Company Limited.
The convicted worker, Samuel Agyiri, admitted to both charges—damaging property and theft—during his appearance before the Tarkwa Circuit Court, which was presided over by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu.
The case unfolded after Agyiri was repeatedly seen acting suspiciously near the company’s powerhouse. On the morning of March 11, 2025, a company manager, Peter Adakabilla, noticed Agyiri lingering around an area within the powerhouse known as “bars,” where electrical cables are installed. When questioned, Agyiri had no clear reason for being there and was reassigned to the hogging yard.
Later that afternoon, he was again seen loitering near the powerhouse despite having officially ended his shift. Around 3:15 PM, the same manager spotted him pushing a wheelbarrow toward the factory’s fence close to the moulding mill, which raised immediate alarms.
When confronted, Agyiri fled, ditching the wheelbarrow and taking off with a polythene-wrapped item. The manager alerted a company security officer, Aziz Yakubu, who gave chase on a motorbike and managed to apprehend him.
After his arrest, Agyiri led the security officer to a bush where the stolen electrical cables had been hidden. He later confessed at the Samreboi Police Station, claiming he acted out of financial desperation.
The presiding judge ordered that the stolen items be returned to the company following the sentencing.
