Painter denied bail after allegedly stealing cables worth GH₵1million from Bank of Ghana

An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday turned down a bail application for the painter accused of stealing electrical cables at the Bank of Ghana building at Ridge in Accra. 

Ahmed Mohammed Lawal is accused of stealing assorted copper cables worth GH₵1,035,500. He has denied the charge of unlawful entry and stealing. 

At an Accra circuit court on Wednesday, Lawal‘s lawyer, Nii Martey Korley, prayed for bail for his client, saying he was not a flight risk, and he has fixed place of abode at Accra Newtown. 

Defence counsel said Lawal was gainfully employed and had also cooperated with police investigations. 

Again, the defence counsel held that his client had independent sureties “who are of substance” and willing to ensure his attendance to court whenever needed. 

Counsel drew the court’s attention to the fact that Lawal had spent over a month in custody and he needed to be granted bail to prepare for his defence during trial. 

Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Augustin Kingsley Oppong, did not oppose the grant of bail, saying it left it in the hands of the court. 

It informed the court that the police were on the verge of concluding investigations and that the accused had refunded GHC2,000. 

However, the police were yet to retrieve the stolen cables. 

The relieving judge, Mr Isaac Addo, ruled that “application for bail is refused, accused person to remain in custody.” 

The complainants in the case; Samuel Nii Tettey and Davidson Mensah Otinkorang, are safety officer and electrical engineer, respectively, at the new Bank of Ghana building, where construction work is ongoing. 

ASP Oppong said on February 16, 2025, the complainants detected that someone had broken into the Energy farm at the site and stolen quantities of 1c x 240 and 1c x 300 square of copper cables, all valued at GH₵1,035, 500. 

That necessitated the review of the Closed- Circuit Television (CCTV) camera, where the accused and two others were seen stealing the copper cables from the Energy Farm. Bundles of electrical cables were kept at the place. 

Prosecution said the complainants nabbed the accused and handed him over to the police. 

During investigations, it was revealed that the accused and two others, at large, gained ingress into the Energy Farm by means of a scaffold where they cut the copper cables with a sharp object and carried them away. 

Further investigation proved the cables were sold to someone at Kwame Nkrumah Circle by the accused, whose share was GH₵2,000. 

Lawal, however, could not lead the police to arrest his accomplices and the “dishonest receiver.” 

The matter has been adjourned to April 2, 2025.