An Accra Circuit court yesterday sentenced three persons to one year imprisonment each, for stealing properties worth four thousand, two hundred and eighty Ghana cedis belonging to the Chosen Evangelistic Ministry.

The three convicts, Martin Adi Ali, a butcher, Anthony Addah, a butcher and Richard Asare, a trader, were convicted on their own plea on four counts of conspiracy to commit crime, contrary to section 23(1) of Act 29/60, causing unlawful damage contrary to section 172 of Act 29/60, unlawful entry contrary to section 152 of ACT 29/60 and stealing contrary to section 124(1) of ACT 29/60 in the court, presided over by Mr. Ebenezer Osei Darko.

They were sentenced to one year each, on each count, to run-concurrently as the court noted that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused persons.

The Prosecuting Officer, Chief Inspector A. Afetsi said the complainant, Reverend (Rev). Samuel Anim, who doubles as the General Overseer of the Chosen Evangelistic Ministry, located at Asofan in the Greater Accra region, indicated that their Church has for sometime now experienced series of stealing and made complaints to the Police.

He noted that a number of churches in the Asofan and Ofankor communities have also suffered series of theft of church instruments.

According to the prosecutor, on November 24, 2012, the three convicted persons, who live at Kanda, Nima and Kantamanto respectively, stormed the complainant's church premises with a screw driver, a chisel, a pair of scissors and a bunch of keys, broke into the church store room and destroyed a padlock valued GH¢20.00.

They additionally made away with a generator worth GH¢1,500.00 - a mixer worth GH¢1,500.00 - a power amplifier worth GH¢1,000.00 - a stabilizer worth GH¢150.00 - four Tambling worth GH¢80.00 and a woven offering basket worth GH¢50.00 - the prosecutor told the court.

Unfortunately for them, the three convicted persons were given a hot chase and were arrested by the youth in the area who had spotted them, Chief Inspector Afetsi noted, adding the convicted persons admitted to the offences after the police had retrieved all stolen items.