Police investigators have identified four additional houses said to have been bought from the stolen monies from the Abelemkpe residence of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Also, two new Honda cars (Acura), estimated at the cost of over GHc600,000 Ghana Cedis have also been discovered.
The latest revelations add to the already existing houses and properties said to have been found at Amrahian and others in Tamale.
In a latest amended charged sheet filed on August 8, 2023, to replace the one previously filed in July, preferred charges to seven accused persons.
Patience Botwe, 18, hairdresser, Sarah Agyei, 30, unemployed, Benjamin Sowah, 29, plumber, Malik Dauda,34, unemployed, Christiana Achab, a trader, Job Pomary, a mechanic, and Yahaya Sumaila, Excavator operator, have been slapped with 14 counts.
The latest counts comprised of a count of conspiracy, five counts of stealing and eight counts of dishonestly receiving
They are said to have stolen $1 million dollars, £300, 000 euros and other properties including Kente and others.
Sarah Agyei and Christiana Achab said to be nursing mothers were each granted one million cedis bail to be justified by three sureties.
The sureties are also to deposit their Ghana Cards with the registrar of the court and not travel outside of the jurisdiction.
The rest of Patience Botwe, Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Job Pomary Yahaya Sumaila have been remanded into lawful custody.
This was after the Prosecution led by DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye prayed for the accused persons to be remanded for further investigations to be pursued.
But, the defence lawyers argued that, their respective clients are innocent until proven otherwise.
The Prosecution also indicated to the court that, the Attorney General’s office will take over the case docket after full investigations are concluded.
Lawyers of the accused persons said to be nursing mothers are to provide proof of their assertion to the court while a baby said to be six months old was shown to the court as one of the babies under the care of a caregiver.
The eighth accused, Franklin Sarakpo is currently at large.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that, father of Patience Botwe, Kweku Botwe who was part of the five persons previously arraigned was discharged following the Attorney General’s Office advice on the case docket.
The Court presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appiah has adjourned the case to August 22, 2023
The Brief facts of the Prosecution is as follows;
1. Complainants in this case are Daniel Osei Kufour and his wife Cecilia Abena Dapaah who resides at Abelemkpe, Accra.
2. First accused (A1) Patience Botwe Alia’s Maabena was a house help to the complainants.
3. Second accused (A2) Sarah Agyei is unemploved and a former house help to the complainants.
4. Third accused (A3) Benjamin Sowah is a boyfriend to A1.
5. Fourth accused (A4) Malik Dauda is A1’s former boyfriend.
6. Fifth accused (A5) Christiana Achab is a trader.
7. Sixth accused (A6) Job Pomary is the husband of A5, seventh accused Yahaya Sumaila (A7) is an excavator operator residing at Sagnarigu in the Tamale Metropolis and eighth accused Franklin Sarakpo (A8) who is on the run is the son of A5.
8. Sometime in June 2023, the complainants reported theft of their cash and some personal effects as indicated on the face of the charge sheet.
9. Upon the receipt of the complaint, Police commence investigations into the complaint.
10. Police investigations led to the arrest of A1 and A3 at their hide out in Tamale in the Northern Region.
11. A search conducted in their room revealed cash the sum of $40,000 USD and GH¢72,619.70.
12. Police investigation revealed that, sometime in October 2022, complainant Daniel Osei Kufour returned from town to observe that their bedroom which was locked had been opened and heard an unusual noise therein.
13. He entered the room and found A1 hiding behind Complainants storeroom door with duplicate keys to the complainant’s master’s bedroom.
14. Subsequently, the complainants detected theft of properties indicated on the face of the charge sheet.
15. A1 indicated during interrogation that, she gave Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000) UDS out of the stolen money to A5 to buy a three-bedroom house at Amrahia for her.
16. The following brand-new items which A1 used some of the stolen money to buy were also retrieved from the said house: One double decker refrigerator, one television set, one washing machine, one chest freezer, one gas cooker, one water dispenser and related items.
17. Police investigation also established that A1 and A3 used some of the stolen money to buy Hyundai Elantra with registration number GE 9771-23 at a cost of Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢80,000.00).
18. A1 also gave One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢180,000.00) to A3 who used same to purchase an unregistered Honda Civic car with DV plate number 4903-23 which same have been retrieved.
19. Investigation also disclosed that A1 and A3 used parts of the stolen money to rent a three-bed room apartment in Tamale at a total cost of One Hundred and Five Thousand Six Hundred Cedis (GH¢105,600.00) for a period of two years.
20. Additionally, A1 and A3 used part of the stolen money to rent a storeroom in Tamale at a total cost of One Hundred Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (120,000.00).
21. Al also mentioned A2 as her accomplice to the effect that, when they were working in the complainants’ house, she used to keep watch of the main gate for A2 to go into the complainants’ room to steal their money after which they share the spoil.
22. A2 was subsequently arrested from her hideout in Budumburam a suburb of Kasoa for investigation.
23. Investigation further disclosed that A2 used part of the stolen money to build a three bedroom self-contain house at Budumburam.
24. A1 also gave Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000.00) out of the stolen money to A4, who admitted the preceding fact during interrogation.
25. A2 also gave One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢100,000.00) out of the stolen money to A4 through Al who also admitted same.
26. A5, A6 and A8 who were wanted for their involvement in the case were arrested for investigation.
27. Further investigation revealed that A1 gave unspecified amount of money in dollars to her deceased brother “Joe” who also parted some of the stolen money to AS who was living in a wooden structure with her husband within the same locality as A1.
28. A5 who knew that Al had stolen money from the complainants collected a total amount of Two Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢42,830,000.00) of the stolen money from A1.
29. A5 upon receipt of the said amount, purchased an eleven-unit chamber and hall self-contain house at Budumburam at the cost of Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢800,000.00) for herself.
30. A5 again purchased a three-bedroom house at Aplaku at the cost of Three Hundred Thousand Cedis (GH¢300,000.00) also for A1.
31. A5 and A6 also purchased a four-bedroom house at Kokrobite at the cost of Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Cedis (GH¢280,000.00) for A5.
32. A5 called A7 from Tamale and purchased a three bedroom self-contain house at Amrahia at the cost of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cedis (GH¢850,000.00) in the name of A7.
33. Investigation further disclosed that, AS purchased two Honda Acura vehicles with registration numbers GB1407-2022 and GB 1406-22 at the cost of Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH&300,000.00) each which are registered in the name of A8 and A1 respectively from the proceeds. Case under investigation.
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