A 36-year-old unemployed man, Foster Nyarko, has been convicted for unlawfully entering an office at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) headquarters in Accra and stealing a mobile phone belonging to a senior official.
Nyarko, who is based in Takoradi Effia-Kuma, was arrested after CCTV footage captured him entering the Human Resource office, Room 15, on October 22, 2024, and stealing a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G phone valued at GH¢4,999.
According to Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori Appiah, who narrated the facts in court, the complainant, Celis-Jane Nyadroh, the Principal Administrator of CHRAJ, had briefly stepped out of her office when Nyarko entered under the pretext of following up on an application. Instead of waiting for her return, Nyarko seized the opportunity to steal the phone from her desk before leaving the premises unnoticed.
A formal complaint was filed at the Ministries Police Station on October 24, 2024, prompting an investigation. The accused remained at large until January 30, 2025, when he was arrested at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ridge, Accra, in connection with another stealing case.
Upon reviewing CCTV footage from CHRAJ, police confirmed his involvement in the phone theft. On January 31, 2025, when he was escorted back to the crime scene, he admitted to the crime.
Nyarko was arraigned before the Circuit Court in Accra, where he pleaded guilty simpliciter-a direct admission of guilt without any defense. Presiding Judge Basilia Adjei-Tawiah convicted him on his own plea but deferred sentencing to February 27, 2025.
His conviction showcases the effectiveness of surveillance in crime detection and the importance of swift law enforcement action. As the sentencing date approaches, the legal consequences of his actions will soon be determined.
