Moses Vincent, 35 and a tailor, has stolen an amount of GH600.00 in an envelope lying on an alter of the Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church at Dansoman in Accra.

Vincent was put before the Dansoman Circuit Court in Thursday for the offences of unlawful entry, stealing, and being on premise for unlawful purposes.

He pleaded guilty to stealing before the presiding judge, Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit, after the charged were read to him. The other counts were withdrawn.

When the court urged him to plead for mitigation for the crime before a sentence is passed on him, a good Samaritan walked to the prosecutor and offered to pay the amount.

After the court was informed, the good Samaritan was ask to stand up and the judge said the church instead of using the opportunity to win soul for Christ Jesus did the otherwise to prosecute the sinner.

At the time the case was called the Chantel Agbenyo, complainant and a Security Officer at the Church didn’t appear in court.

The court after careful consider of the accused’s remorsefulness and not wasting its time, cautioned him and ordered him to sign a bond of good behaviour for 12 months, and discharged.

He was captured by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the church and arrested by the church security.

The court was told that on June 14, 2024 at 8:10 pm, the complainant assisted by Thomas Wahab, head of security of Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church – Dansoman branch arrested the accused and took him to the Dansoman Police Station.

According to the prosecution, March 20 at 3:00, Moses was captured on the Church CCTV footage, having unlawfully entered the church premises and stealing money from the offertory box.

After Moses’ arrest, some elders of the church pleaded with the Police on his behalf and was warned and set free.

Once again, in May 2024, the accused was captured on CCTV, having unlawfully entered the Church’s premises, away with an envelope containing a cash sum of GH¢600.00 which was on the altar of the church.

The accused was re-arrested by Police and in his investigation caution statement admitted the offence.

The stolen cash amounts have not been retrieved an copies of the CCTV footage had been received by the Police, viewed and kept for evidential purposes.

After Police investigation, the accused was charged with the offences as stated on the charge sheet and put before this honourable court.