Three out of four persons facing criminal trial have been remanded into police custody to re-appear before court on June 4,2024 for stealing copper cables.
Whereas Courage Lartey, Timothy Queci, and Donatus Tetteh are languishing in police custody for stealing copper cables coiled around two drums with weight 832.0kg valued at GHS192,039.39; contrary to section 124(1) of the criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29), Desmond Boateng has been granted bail in the sum of GHS100,000.00 with 3 sureties, one of them is to be justified.
Counsels for both A2, Asarewaa Kwarteng who held James Enu’s brief for A2 and counsel for A4, Valentia Kwarteng led by Paul Kwaku Danso prayed for bail for their respective clients, the court presided over by His Honour Mr Simon Nketiah Gaga refused bail plea for A2 and granted A4 bail.
The judge said having listened to counsel for A2 and A4 praying for bail for bail for their respective clients with the prosecution also leaving the grant of bail in the hands of the court, per the facts A1, A2 and A3 cannot be granted bail. They would have to assist police in their investigations to arrest one Birthday who is at large.
Prosecution;presenting the D/PW/INSPR Dorcas Ofosua I/C case, the prosecuting officer, DSP Mrs. Dorothy Boadu Peprah told the court that complainant Selorm Ankah aged 41, who is a contractor residing at Kanewu and works at Ashanti Steel Limited while A1, Courage Lartey aged 23,a welder residing at Tema Newtown, A2, Timothy Queci aged 24, a labourer residing at Kanewu, A3, Donatus Tetteh aged 29,a labourer residing at Tema Newtown while A4, Desmond Boateng, aged 24 also a labourer residing at Kanewu, all of whom are employees of Ashanti Steel Limited.
The materials at the company’s site at Kanewu within the Tema West constituency of the Greater Accra Region were copper cables coiled around two drums with weight 832.0kg valued at GHS192,039.39.
Mrs. Boadu Peprah told the court that on the 15th of May, 2024, the complainant discovered all the cables around the drums have been stolen therefore starting enquiring among the staff members in a bid to finding the culprit.
Missikpode Zimau Regarien, a Beninois and labourer at the company, a witness in this case mentioned A1, A2 and A3 as culprits asserting that he personally saw the trio carrying copper cables in a container sneaking out of the company yard on different occasions.
Complainant then reported the case to the Kanewu police leading to the arrest of the accused persons.
She told the court that during investigations, A3, Donatus Tetteh mentioned A4, Desmond Boateng as one of the culprits who had been stealing the copper cables with another employee popularly known as Birthday who is currently at large.
The four suspects;A1, A2, A3 and A4 failed to show police the whereabouts of the cables following which they were charged with the offences and arraigned before the honourable court while efforts are underway to arrest the said Birthday.
