From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
A grand design allegedly orchestrated and executed by a Kumasi based ‘trotro’ driver and his mate to deprive their master of his Urvan Nissan mini bus has backfired.
The two, together with a businessman accomplice, have been arrested by the police after the vehicle was retrieved from the businessman who bought it for GH¢ 5,000.
Their arrest followed a tip-off by a witness who heard that the vehicle in question had been hijacked by unknown men at the Kejetia lorry terminal.
A few hours after an announcement was made about the said vehicle, the witness spotted the car at a washing bay at Atimatim, a suburb of Kumasi and alerted the police who responded swiftly to investigate.
When the police got to the washing bay, they detected that seats in the vehicle had been removed. They also detected that the number plate had been removed and address defaced, ready for repainting.
Their investigations led to the arrest of Iddris Samiu, a 22-year-old trader, who told the police that he bought the vehicle from Kwadwo Antwi, 27, the driver of the vechile and Kwadwo Ofori, 22, his mate, for GH¢5,000 and had already paid GH¢4,000 to them.
The three suspects, who were placed in police custody to assist in their investigations, have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢ 15,0000 each with two sureties by a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amoo Yartey.
Antwi pleaded not guilty to the charge of fraudulent breach of trust while Ofori also pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing.
Samiu on the other hand pleaded not guilty to a charge of dishonestly receiving.
Giving the facts of the case before the court, a State Attorney, Mr Lawrence Emmanuel Otoo-Boison said the complainant, Mr Akwasi Oppong, who is a transport owner at Mamponteng, near Kumasi, entrusted his vehicle in the care of Antwi.
He said on June 26, 2010, the complainant was informed that the Nissan Urvan mini bus, which Antwi was using as a commercial transport vehicle had been stolen at the Kajetia lorry terminal. He, therefore, quickly alerted the police for them to investigate.
He explained that days before the vehicle was stolen, Antwi had persistently complained about harassment from the police who demanded to see the documents covering the vehicle.
The prosecutor said the complainant refused to give the documents to Antwi in spite of his persistent demands.
Mr Otoo-Boison said it was during police investigations that they discovered that the vehicle was never hijacked as Antwi alleged, rather he allegedly arranged with Iddriss to buy it at a cost GH ¢ 5,000 and later concocted a story about the hijacking to the complainant.
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