A trader, Fatimatu Gyang, has been remanded by the Accra Circuit Court ‘1’, presided over by Afia Owusua Appiah, for allegedly buying stolen goods from persons perceived to be thieves.
The court yesterday remanded Fatimatu, together with her alleged accomplices – Dzato Prosper @ Nana Kwame, aged 26 years and a driver’s mate, and Clement Ofosu, aged 23 and a driver.
The court was told by the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, that the other accomplices of Fatimatu, namely Kojo and M.C, were currently on the run.
He narrated to the court that Fatimatu was a resident of Tema-Manhean, while Dzato Prosper @ Nana Kwame and Clement Ofosu reside at Ashaiman. The complainants, Benjamin Ashie and Vincent Boadi, are businessmen living at Adoteiman near Danfa.
According to him, Fatimatu allegedly fuelled a Toyota Urvan bus, with registration number GS 2471-17, which was being used by Clement Ofosu as a commercial vehicle, to go on a stealing operation at Danfa.
The prosecuting officer said on August 30, 2022 at about 10:00 pm, Kojo allegedly called the driver and his mate to meet him at the Ashaiman Main Lorry Station to embark on usual stealing operation at Danfa.
As a result, Kojo, together with the driver and his mate and M.C., converged at the lorry station with the commercial vehicle and proceeded to Danfa armed with an industrial cutter and five vulcanising bars.
He indicated to the court that the accused persons first broke into Benjamin Ashie’s shop and made away with 12 pieces of Hitaget cloth valued at GH¢1,400.00, six bags of 25kg rice valued at GH¢1,680.00, 19 cosmetic products valued at GH¢950.00, and one pack of toothpaste valued GH¢50.09.
C/Insp Ahiabor added that the total value of the items stolen from the first complainant’s shops was GH¢3,880.00.
The court was further informed that the accused persons then proceeded to Vincent Boadi’s pharmacy shop, broke the door, ransacked the place, and made away with cash in the sum of GH¢238.00 and one Techno mobile phone, valued at GH¢250.00.
He stated that while the accused persons were on their way to Ashaiman, they were accosted by a police patrol team, and before the police could conduct a search on the vehicle, Kojo and M.C. managed to escape.
Dzato and Clement were arrested to the Ayi Mensah Police Station, and later transferred to the Accra Regional Police Headquarters for further investigation.
During interrogation, Dzato and Clement admitted the offence in their caution statement, and led the police to the house of Fatimatu, as the one who gave them money for fuel and also buy the stolen items.
The accused person also led the police to the two shops they broke into at Danfa and stole their goods.
The driver and his mate were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, two counts of stealing and causing unlawful damage, but they have both pleaded not guilty.
Fatimatu has also pleaded not guilty to the charge abetment of crime, namely stealing.
