Painter remanded for allegedly stealing cables worth over GH₵1million at new Bank of Ghana Headquarters

A painter working on the Bank of Ghana building at Ridge in Accra has been remanded into police custody for stealing quantities of assorted copper cables, valued at GH₵1,035,500. 

Appearing at an Accra Circuit Court, Ahmed Mohammed Lawal was nabbed after CCTV camera was reviewed. 

Lawal has pleaded not guilty on charges of unlawful entry and stealing. 

Two other accomplices are said to be at large. Police say efforts are being made to apprehend Lawal’s accomplices. 

The matter has been adjourned to March 19, 2025, by the court, presided over by Mrs Sedinam Awo Kwadam. 

The prosecution, led by Assistant Augustin Kingsley Oppong, told the court that the complainants, Samuel Nii Tettey and Davidson Mensah Otinkorang, are safety officer and electrical engineer, respectively, at the New Bank of Ghana building, which is under construction. 

ASP Oppong said on February 16, 2025, the complainants detected that a thief had broken into the Energy Farm at the Site and had stolen quantities of lc x 240 square copper cables and lc 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 for investigations. 

The court heard that during investigations, it was revealed that on February 16, 2025, the accused and two others at large gained ingress into the Energy Farm “by means of a scaffold where accused person and his accomplices cut the copper cables with a sharp object and took them (the cables) away.” 

Investigations conducted proved the sale of the booty to someone at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle by the accused and his share was GH₵2,000. 

However, the accused could not lead the police to arrest his accomplice and the “dishonest receiver.”  

Investigations were still ongoing, the Prosecution added.