Crime & Punishment of Monday, 27 June 2005

Source: GNA

Pastor and another acquitted over stolen vehicle

Accra June 27, GNA- A Circuit Court in Accra on Monday acquitted and discharged the Reverend Prince Kudulo, Head Pastor of Go Ye Church in Accra, on charges of dishonestly receiving a Toyota Land Cruiser and attempting to register it with forged documents.

The Court also acquitted and discharged Alhaji Moro Mohammed, a Businessman, also charged with stealing, forging of document and causing unlawful damage. The Court acquitted both of them after it had upheld a submission of no case made on their behalf by their Counsel after the Prosecution had closed its case. The Court ordered the Police to release the vehicle and other exhibits they seized to Rev. Kudolo.

When Rev. Kudolo and Alhaji Mohammed appeared before the Court on June 1, they pleaded not guilty and the Court admitted them to a self-recognisance bail of 100 million cedis each. The case presented by Prosecution was that Alhaji Mohammed stole a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle from Abdul Ganiyu Kolade, a Nigerian Businessman.

The Prosecution said thieves stole the vehicle, which belonged to a company in Japan in July 2003 and shipped it to Nigeria in the same year.

The Prosecution alleged that Kolade brought the vehicle to Ghana and sold it to Rev Kudolo under dubious circumstances. Soon after Prosecution had closed its case, the Counsel for the accused made a submission of no case, saying the Prosecution could not link them to the charges and therefore called on the Court to free them.