A 31-year old secretary who took advantage of her manager/ boy friend's absence from the country and stole his property valued at 42.7 million cedis has appeared before a circuit tribunal in Accra charged with stealing.

Mabel Owusu Ansaa, Secretary at Vanloo Limited who pleaded not guilty was granted 10 million cedis bail with one surety to reappear on August 29. The tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah ordered that, part of the items retrieved from the accused, should be released to the complainant.

Police Detective Chief Inspector Edward Antwi said the complainant, Mr Frederick Joris Vanloo, manager of the company travelled to London in December, 1998, for medical treatment and left his house in the care of his house-boy, Mr Frank Obu. While in London, Mr Vanloo requested Ansaa to take control of the house from Mr Obu and use his Mitsubishi mini bus to convey his only daughter to and from school. The prosecutor said Ansaa however ejected Mr Obu from the house and rented out the rooms that he was occupying. She used the proceeds to pay outstanding utility bills and for the upkeep of the daughter.

Mr Vanloo returned to Ghana sometime in September last year and detected that his property, including the mini bus, one air-conditioner, two wooden frames, a sewing machine, video tapes, loud speakers, one microwave oven and shoes, all valued at 42.7 million cedis were missing. Chief Inspector Antwi said Mr Vanloo confronted the accused but she denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of the items. He made a report to the police who retrieved some of the items from Ansaa in the course of the investigation.