Man sentenced in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for stealing school desks
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Netafrique
A man named Arsène has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, three of them to be served, and fined 500,000 CFA francs for stealing two desks from a primary school. He must also pay 40,000 CFA francs to the school, according to Netafrique.
A court in Ouagadougou has sentenced Arsène to 12 months' imprisonment, three of them to be served, and to a firm fine of 500,000 CFA francs for stealing two desks from a primary school. He must also pay 40,000 CFA francs to the school, an amount corresponding to the value of the desks.
At the hearing, the defendant had explained that he no longer had the means to provide for his children. The public prosecutor said this did not justify the theft: "many people can be found who have nothing like him, but do not commit this kind of act". It did, however, note that Arsène was appearing in court for the first time and described him as a first-time offender. It had requested the sentence that was ultimately handed down.
The civil party was also seeking compensation for broken windows. The court did not uphold this, as the damage was not established against the convicted man.
This ruling adds to other judgments handed down in Ouagadougou, including that of a trader sentenced for stealing 20 million CFA francs, published on 4 November.
