Juaso (Ash), June 22, GNA - A farmer has been granted five million cedis bail for stealing from a neighbours' farm by the Juaso Circuit Court.

Kwame Richard pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing and will reappear on June 29, 2004.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector F.K. Ofori told the court presided over by Mr Jacob Boon that on June 9, 2004, at 1200 hours, the complainant was preparing meals at her cottage when she saw the accused carrying a bag full of cassava and cocoyam.

The complainant confronted him as to where he got the foodstuffs, because she knew that the accused has not got any matured foodstuffs in his farm, and not satisfied with the answer by the accused, she went to her farm to find out if there had been any harvest of foodstuffs.

Inspector Ofori said when she saw freshly uprooted cassava sticks and cocoyam, she raised an alarm, and neighbours in the area chased the accused and arrested him together with the foodstuffs and brought him to the Juaso police station and made a report.

He said during investigations, accused told the police that he brought the foodstuffs from his farm, however, when investigators accompanied him to the farm, it was found that all the foodstuffs were uprooted from the complainant's farm.