The Accra Circuit Court 10 has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 25 months in prison with hard labour for unlawfully setting fire to vehicles at a mechanic shop, destroying three cars valued at GH¢195,000.
Emmanuel Lewis Ebuka, who pleaded not guilty to three counts of unlawful damage, was convicted after the court found him responsible for the destruction.
The court imposed a 25-month sentence on each of the three counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.
According to the prosecution, led by Police Chief Inspector Clement Takyi, the complainant, Joshua Nii Kuntso Alabi, is an auto mechanic residing at Nungua in Accra.
The court heard that in July 2025, Ebuka, who was unemployed and had no fixed place of abode, was found sleeping in one of the vehicles parked at Alabi’s workshop at Teshie Fertiliser.
Workers at the workshop reportedly asked him to leave and warned him against returning to the premises.
However, on August 8, 2025, at about midnight, Ebuka allegedly returned to the workshop and entered a Chrysler Voyager with registration number GT 242 Z, where he smoked.
The prosecution said he subsequently threw the cigarette butt inside the vehicle, causing it to catch fire.
Ebuka allegedly fled after realising that he had been spotted.
The flames later spread to other vehicles parked at the workshop, including a Ford Ranger pickup with registration number GW 2615 R, a Toyota 4Runner with registration number GS 1990 Z and a Toyota Tacoma pickup with registration number GC 1421-10.
The complainant and his workers attempted to put out the fire before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene.
The court was told that the Chrysler Voyager, Ford Ranger and Toyota 4Runner were completely destroyed, while the Toyota Tacoma sustained partial damage.
The destroyed vehicles were valued at GH¢75,000, GH¢40,000 and GH¢80,000 respectively, resulting in a total loss of GH¢195,000.
Chief Inspector Takyi told the court that Ebuka was subsequently arrested and admitted to the offence in his caution statement.
Following investigations, he was charged and prosecuted, leading to his conviction and 25-month concurrent prison sentence.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.