A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for stealing a 50-inch television from a church located at the Teshie Military Barracks in Accra. The court handed down the sentence after the woman, Mawuena Tamakloe, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful entry and stealing.
Mawuena was convicted on two counts and received a 12-month jail term for each, to run concurrently. The stolen television, a Hisense UHD 4K flat-screen worth GHC 8,900, belonged to the Church of Pentecost (COP), Whistler Barracks Worship Centre.
During the court proceedings, led by Chief Inspector Clemence Takyi, it was revealed that a pregnancy test requested by the court returned negative results. However, while being escorted back to the police station after the test, Mawuena attempted to escape. According to the case investigator, she ran across the main road and tried to flee in a commercial vehicle and later a taxi. She was later caught after a motorcycle rider volunteered to help and chased down the vehicle.
The court, presided over by Mrs Susan Edufful, considered Mawuena’s age, her status as a first-time offender, her guilty plea, and the value of the stolen item before deciding the sentence. The judge advised her to use her time in prison to reform.
The prosecution withdrew an additional charge of causing unlawful damage to the television, which initially appeared on the charge sheet. The court had earlier entered a not guilty plea on that charge after Mawuena gave an explanation during the hearing.
According to the facts presented in court, the incident occurred on the morning of May 15, 2025. Military officers saw Mawuena walking out of the barracks with the TV, which was still in a box marked with the church’s name. Suspicious of her explanation, the officers handed her over to the Military Police.
During interrogation, she confessed to stealing the television from one of the church’s offices. The head pastor's office had signs of forced entry, and Mawuena later admitted her actions in a caution statement. The TV was recovered and returned to the church.
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