Tema, June 03, GNA - Eight persons on Thursday appeared before the Tema Circuit Court 'B', for allegedly stealing 400 cartons of fish valued at 80 million cedis from Living Zoe Ventures, a fishing Company in Tema.

They were Clement Tetteh, Chief Security Officer, Nii Teye, Fork lift Operator, Martin Dadzie, Cold room boy, all of the company, Emmanuel Mensah, unemployed, Samuel Asante, driver's mate, Emmanuel Aboagye, driver, Mary Atifoa and Grace Odum, both Fish mongers. Tetteh and Mensah pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and stealing, while the rest of the accused persons pleaded not guilty. The court presided over by Mr Stephen K. Teye, remanded Tetteh, Mensah, Teye, Dadzie, Mary and Grace and granted bail in the sum of 50 million cedis with surety each to Asante and Aboagye, who used their vehicles to convey the stolen items.

The case was adjourned to June 16, for sentence of the two accused who have pleaded guilty and to begin hearing evidence from witnesses in respect of the remaining six.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor said the complainant was the Managing Director of the Company and that on May 27, this year he detected that about 400 cartons of various types of fish had been stolen from the cold store.

He suspected his Chief Security Officer, the forklift operator and cold room boy so he reported the case to the Fishing Harbour Police who arrested them for interrogation.

According to the prosecutor, Tetteh confessed stealing only 80 cartons of the fish the previous night with Teye, and Dadzie. They then mentioned the rest of the accused persons as their accomplices and they were also arrested. Mary and Grace, however, led the Police to a structure where the cartons had been kept for distribution to other fishmongers and only 22 cartons were retrieved.