...at big conference in police grip

Immaculately dressed like a corporate executive with all the airs, pomp and debonair of a Very Important Person (VIP), Kofi Ansah, a businessman, smartly appeared at the Accra International Conference Centre on the morning of February 16, 2002.

He patiently went through registration formalities to be a participant in an African Regional Seminar on Copyright, to be held at the Centre. Unknown to the organizers, the 35-year-old bespectacled gentleman was there on a different mission, very unrelated to matters pertaining to copyright.

Ansah strategically positioned himself within the front row and listened with rapt attention as the first session for the day came to a close to make way for a short break which Ansah, for a very curious reason, refused to take. He remained in the conference hall, and thinking that the tired delegates were now only concerned about stretching their limbs and having some refreshment, he stood up and picked a handbag which had long caught his eye.

He selected what he wanted and kept his cool. A Namibian national, Mr Walter Naftalie Kahivere, who was Ansah's victim lost his Namibian passport, one camera, two air tickets, 437 US dollars, 800 Rands and the cedi equivalent of 190 US dollars.

When Ansah was immediately confronted, he claimed he belonged to the GTV news team covering the seminar. He however, vanished soon after the confrontation. He came back to the conference this time in a different attire. But an earlier photograph taken on him and other participants, however, gave him up.

Suspicious of his behaviour the organizers confronted Ansah again, but he vehemently denied ever stealing from the hall. Not satisfied with his explanation, the organizers sent him to the Osu Police Station and after interrogation; he was arraigned before the Osu Community Tribunal on Wednesday, February 27, 2002. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.

Police Chief Inspector, Chris Quarcoo, told the tribunal chaired by Mr George Nana Donkor that most of the items allegedly taken by Ansah were personal belongings. The items in the bag included a Namibian passport, two air tickets, 800 Rand, 437 US dollars and the cedi equivalent of 190 US dollars.

He said Ansah faked as a participant went to the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) when the conference was being held and joined the participants. During break time after the first session of the seminar Ansah chose to remain in the conference hall whilst the rest of the participants went out for some refreshment.

Ansah realizing that everyone was out of the hall picked Walters handbag and stole the items earlier mentioned. But some of the participants had spotted Ansah picking some items from a bag. They confronted him but he claimed to be a member of the GTV news team covering the seminar. With this explanation, they left him. Ansah then vanished from the scene.

Walter returned later from the break and detected the theft and reported the mater to the organisers of the seminar. They suspected Ansah and began looking for him but he could nowhere be found.

Earlier, a photographer at the seminar had taken photographs of almost all the participants including Ansah in the attire he wore to the seminar that day. Not quite long, Ansah emerged again this time dressed in a different attire. He was confronted and after questioning was handed over to the Osu Police.

Chief Inspector Quacoo said Ansah has refused to take the police to the house where he changed his dress so as to retrieve the attire which the photograph revealed he first wore to the seminar and possibly the stolen items which have still not been retrieved.

Mr E. Manu, counsel for Ansah prayed the tribunal to grant his client bail as the stealing charge preferred against him was based on mere suspicion. The judge refused to grant him bail. When asked why he was arrested in a different attire other than what he wore to the seminar as indicated in the picture and why he was at the seminar, neither Ansah nor his counsel could explain. Ansah was remanded into prison custody.