The Accra Circuit Court “One” has ordered the police to release 40 brand new tyres belonging to the defunct Power Distribution Services (PDS) in their custody, to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The 40 700/16 brand new Infinity tyres, valued at GH¢50,000.00, were allegedly stolen by four officials of PDS on August 20, 2019, at Legon, in the Greater Accra Region.
They are Mr John Kofi Arhin, also known as Nana Bronya, 49, driver, Mr Ernest Adeti, 32, storekeeper, Mr Salifu Gariba also known as Abonssu, 43, PDS vulcaniser, and Mr Hakeem Duwiejua, accounts officer.
They have been charged with conspiracy and stealing, and put before the Circuit Court “One” for trial.
Also put before the same court is a private vulcaniser, Mr Francis Amewugah, 28, whose workshop at Adentan on the Dodowa road was used by the four PDS officials as a convenient place to keep the stolen tyres.
He has pleaded not guilty to the offence of “dishonestly receiving” which has been preferred against him.
The court presided by Madam Ruby N.A. Aryeetey, however, asked Kofi Arhin (first accused), Ernest Adeti (second accused), Salifu Gariba (third accused) and Francis Amewugah (fourth accused), who had earlier pleaded not guilty, to still be on their previous bail until November 25, 2019.
The facts as presented by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Gulliver Kwabena Tenkorang, were that Mr Arhin was a driver of PDS at Tema, whilst the second accused Mr Adeti, was a storekeeper of PDS at Legon, Mr Gariba, third accused, was a PDS vulcaniser, also stationed at Legon and the fifth accused, Mr Duwiejua, was a PDS accounts officer at the Legon office respectively.
He said that on August 20, 2019, at about 6am, police at Adentan had information that ECG vehicle with registration number GV2411 was seen off-loading brand new tyres at a vulcaniser’s workshop at Adentan.
According to the prosecution, the police followed up to the shop and discovered that 40 size 700/16 brand new lnfinity tyres, all valued at GH¢50,000.00 has been off-loaded at the vulcanising workshop and he was arrested.
He said that the fourth accused mentioned the first accused, second accused and third accused as those who brought the tyres to his workshop, and they were also arrested.
Chief Insp Tenkorang said that investigations revealed that Mr Kofi Arhin, Mr Ernest Adeti and Mr Salifu Gariba hatched a plan on August 19, 2019 to steal the tyres from PDS stores.
He said first accused (Mr Arhin), who was a driver, had on the day of the incident, informed his supervisor at the Tema PDS office earlier that, his vehicle had developed fault and he was taking it for repairs at the PDS office at Legon, in Accra.
Chief Insp Tenkorang said that at about 3:30pm, same day (August 20, 2019), he (first accused) made the vehicle available and the storekeeper loaded 130 brand new tyres into the vehicle to be delivered at the PDS office at Legon.
The prosecution said that the first accused rather kept the goods overnight at Teshie, a suburb of Accra.
The case has been adjourned to November 25, 2019.
By Castro Zangina-Tong
