3 charged with stealing

Three men standing trial before the Odumase Krobo Circuit Court for stealing have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢8,000 each with surety.

Emmanuel Kobby, Prince Tevon and Ebenezer Ofori are being tried for conspiracy to commit crime, causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry and stealing.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges but claimed ownership of the implements used in the operation.
Mr Asmah Akwasi Asiedu, a High Court Judge with additional responsibility at the Odumase Krobo Circuit Court, after listening to the accused persons’ explanations, when they first appeared in court refused them bail .
“Accused persons had in their possession some of the items stolen and have also admitted ownership of implements used in committing the various crimes and so I will ask prosecution to produce them on May 19, 2015 for an expeditious trial,” Mr Asiedu stressed.
The court however granted them bail on their subsequent appearance.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Richmond Akwasi Yeboah, the prosecutor, told the court that the first complainant is the Rector of the Accra Polytechnic, the second complainant, a banker and the third, the Head of security at the Volta River Authority (VRA) at Akosombo.
The prosecutor said on May 1, 2015 at about 4:00 a.m., the first complainant, who had come to Akosombo to receive an award at a programme held at the Volta Hotel Conference Hall, was lodging in one of the hotel’s annex bungalows with other guests.
He said the first complainant woke up in the middle of the night and found that the window of his bedroom had been opened and his two mobile phones stolen.
He said the head of security was informed of the presence of robbers in the area, so the only entrance to the mess was consequently blocked to prevent the robbers from escaping.
ASP Yeboah said the security men pursued the robbers who fled into the bush leaving their footwears and their operation vehicle, a Toyota Corolla with registration No. GS 3942-13, behind.
He said police investigation later revealed that the robbers had earlier broken into the second complainant’s provision store and made away with recharge cards valued at GH¢ 230.00 and an amount of GH¢350.00.
The prosecution said the police found that the robbers had also damaged portions of the wire mesh to the living rooms of bungalows V2 and V6, but could not gain access.
The police also discovered one industrial cutter, two screw drivers and a pair of jeans shorts used for the operation.
ASP Yeboah said a search for the suspects was mounted the next day about 9:00 a.m. and Tevon was spotted in the area with bruises on his body without footwear and he was arrested.
Later, Kobby was also spotted in the area and was arrested.
When he was searched, the two mobile phones belonging to the first complainant and the assorted mobile recharge cards and money belonging to the second complainant were all retrieved from his pockets.
ASP Yeboah said during investigations, they both admitted robbing from the first and second complainants but denied causing damage to the protective wire mesh of bungalows V2 and V6.
They also mentioned Ofori as their accomplice and the owner of the abandoned car used for the robbery.
The prosecutor said Tevon and Kobby further identified the exhibits found in the bush as theirs.
Ofori was later arrested at his hideout.