Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 7 July 2011

Source: GNA

Court orders investigations into alleged stealing case

Awutu-Breku (C/R), July 7, GNA - The Awutu-Beraku magistrate court presided by Mr Ebenezer Osei-Darko on Wednesday ordered the Awutu Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of 100 roofing sheets from the premises of Trouselina Company Limited.

The presiding judge further ordered that any persons found culpable in the course of the investigations should be brought before the court on Tuesday July 12, 2011 for prosecution.

The order followed the confession of Nana Owusu, an evangelist, who alleged that some 100 roofing sheets he had concealed somewhere in Awutu had been given to him by some workers of Trouselina company. He did not mention names.

Owusu is facing a charge of stealing 100 roofing sheets, to which he has pleaded guilty.

Detective Inspector Abdulai Mohammed told the court that sometime in April this year, Owusu deposited some of the roofing sheets on a piece of land at Awutu CP Down.

He said the Landlords Association at Awutu was alerted and a surveillance was mounted on the suspect.

It was later found that the quantity of roofing sheets had kept increasing, so the Association took custody of the item.

When Owusu reappeared later to collect the roofing sheets, he was told that they were in the custody of the Association.

Owusu took offence and lodged a complaint with the police claiming that a member of the Association had stolen his goods.

Inspector Mohammed said investigations proved that the roofing sheets were stolen items.

The presiding judge ordered that the stolen items should remain in the custody of the Association until the case was disposed of.