Accra, July 17, GNA - A 35-year-old driver, who stole a taxicab valued at 45 million cedis and sales totalling 45.2 million cedis appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Monday charged with stealing. William Amoah, alias Kwesi Banner, was charged with five counts of stealing, forgery of official document, possessing fake number plate and forged document.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the Court remanded him in Police Custody to reappear on July 27.

Prosecuting, Police Superintendent Elizabeth Alormatu told the Court that in August 2005 the complainant Mr Moses Othniel-Moses, registered a taxicab with registration number GW 3643 W valued at 45 million cedis and gave it to one Mr Kojo Addison to drive. The Prosecutor said in December 2005 Mr Addison told him that the accused person, who was a driver by profession but had no car to drive, wanted to drive the car as a spare driver to drive during the night. Amoah was, therefore, asked to drive the car and render accounts to Mr Addison.

Superintendent Alormatu said Amoah took the car and suddenly disappeared together with Mr Addison's driving licence.

Amoah said in April 2006 Mr Othniel-Moses had information that his car had been impounded by Tema Community One Police upon a tip-off. He proceeded to the Police Station where the car had been retrieved with its number plate changed from GW 3643 W to GW 8648 W. The Prosecutor said in June the Police had information that the accused person had been arrested by Tema Buffalo Unit and he had in his possession a locally manufacture pistol.

When his room was searched Kojo Addison's driving licence was found bearing the accused person's picture.

On interrogation, Amoah admitted the offence. He failed to render account of 45.2 million cedis for the period that the car was with him.