Kumasi, Jan. 8, GNA - A circuit court at Kumasi on Wednesday remanded a 27-year-old chop-bar operator at Kwadaso, a suburb of Kumasi for stealing a three-year-old girl about 12 years ago. Kwabena Kuma, whose plea was not taken, will re-appear on January 21.

Police Chief Inspector Seth Amofa told the court that the accused stole the girl, Afua Manu, now 15 years, from her parents at Kintampo in 1992.

He said all efforts to trace the girl proved futile until about six months ago when the assemblyman for Kwadaso hinted the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana National Commission on Children that someone had confided in him about the circumstances that led to the stealing of Manu.

Chief Inspector Amofa said during the period that Manu stayed with the accused, she was contracted to some market women, shops and chop-bars, where she was engaged in menial jobs while the accused took money as her manager.

He said armed with this information, the GNCC informed the police who arrested the accused and charged him with the offence.