Porto-Novo: a thirty-year-old sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing palm bunches from his employer.

A man in his thirties was heavily sanctioned by the justice system for illegally taking bunches of palm nuts from the plantations of his own employer.

The alleged facts took place on a Sunday. Taking advantage of the absence of supervision, the young man entered two distinct palm groves belonging to an elderly local producer. It was the residents, intrigued by his behavior, who quickly alerted the owner.

The latter immediately filed a formal complaint, leading to the swift arrest of the suspect by law enforcement. During his hearing by the prosecution, the man in his thirties confessed, admitting to having pilfered the crops.

At the hearing, the victim, an old man nearly 90 years old, spoke in the national Goun language to recount his ordeal. Describing the moral and economic harm suffered, the octogenarian filed as a civil party, claiming the sum of 800,000 CFA francs as compensation for the loss of his production.

In front of the judges, the defendant did not attempt to deny the evidence. While reiterating his apologies to the victim, he highlighted his financial hardship to explain his inability to repay the amounts owed immediately. Justifications that did not soften the severity of the court.

After deliberation, the judges sentenced the defendant to 60 months in prison, including 18 months without parole, along with a fine of 100,000 CFA francs for theft. The court also granted all the victim’s requests, ordering the convicted individual to pay the 800,000 CFA francs claimed as damages to his former employer.