Cape Coast, Aug.14, GNA- A couple from Assin-Amoabeng, who allegedly stole a quantity of maize from the farm of Mr. Isaac Edumadze Central Regional Minister were on Monday granted 10 million cedis bail each with a surety to be justified.

They are Ekow Forson, 38 a teacher and Vivian Frimpong 29, farmer. They pleaded not guilty and would reappear on August 29. Prosecuting, inspector Ben Owuah, told the court, presided over by Mr. Mustapha Logoh that, for some time now there has been thefts on the Minister's farm.

According to him, security was therefore beefed up to save the situation and on August 10 this year, while one of the security men was on patrol he saw the couple on the farm stealing from a heap of harvested maize.

He said when they were questioned as to why they were collecting the maize they could not give any tangible reason and were therefore arrested.

In related development Kofi Odoom a carpenter, was also granted five million cedis bail with a surety to be justified by the same court for allegedly stealing two bags of sugar valued at 600,000.00cedis from an articulated truck at Yamoransa.

He pleaded guilty with explanation but a not guilty plea was entered for him after the explanation, and he would reappear on September 2. Inspector Hope Azasoo said on August 5 this year, at about 1930 hrs. the articulated truck driver who was carrying 300 bags of sugar from Tema to Cape Coast made a stop over at Yamoransa. He said the next day, he went to off-load the bags of sugar and detected that two bags had been stolen and he therefore went back to Yamoransa, where he went to inform the chief.

He said, the chief, subsequently caused a gong-gong to be beaten, to announce the theft and ask the culprit to own up and Odoom, readily did so and explained that he had found the two bags by the roadside and had sent them to his carpentry shop for safe-keeping.