Kumasi, Jan 16, GNA - A Kumasi Circuit Court on Wednesday remanded a cobbler in police custody for his alleged involvement in a case, in which two pick-pockets stole 500 Euros, equivalent of 4.8 million cedis, from David Kedjanyi, a Togolese trader last year.

Kwabena Boateng, 19, pleaded guilty while Kwame Atakorah, a storekeeper and the fourth accomplice, was granted 10 million cedis bail with a surety to justify.

The two will re-appear before the court on January 21. Albert Forson, 30 and Kwabena Ofori, 20, who were sentenced to three and four years imprisonment in hard labour respectively in December last year, for stealing the money, implicated Boateng and Atakorah as their accomplices.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, the jailed pickpockets told the court that Boateng was the ringleader of the gang who initiated the attack on the Togolese trader, during which they stole the money. Police Chief Inspector John Afful told the court that during the latter part of last year, police became vigilant at the Kejetia terminal following numerous reported cases of the activities of pickpockets. He said in September last year, the two convicts whom he described as notorious pick-pockets, took advantage of the congestion at the terminal, attacked the trader and stole his 500 Euros and went into hiding.

Chief Inspector Afful said, in December last year, the victim who was in Kumasi again to trade, identified the two pick-pockets and raised the alarm leading to their arrest.

He said during interrogation, the two named Boateng and Atakorah as their accomplice but police could not locate them until last week Friday, when Boateng was arrested for a similar offence. Atakorah, Chief Inspector Afful said, was also arrested at the weekend and after investigations charged with the offence.