Driver remanded over car theft

A driver has appeared before an Adentan Circuit Court for stealing a white Pontiac Vibe at Japan Motors, near Ashaley Botwe in Accra.

Salifu Issah claimed one Eric had asked him to tow the parked vehicle, but he failed to lead the police to the said Eric.

Charged with stealing, Issah pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Balokah has remanded Issah into police custody pending trial and ordered him to reappear on April 27.

It has directed the prosecution, led by Inspector Eric Ransford Abban, to file disclosures.

Inspector Abban told the court that the complainant, Francis Lawson, was a building contractor residing at Lakeside Estate while Issah resided at Power Land, Madina.

According to the prosecution, on March 15, 2023, at approximately 0230 hours, the complainant's sister, who is a witness in the case, awoke to go to the washroom and heard an "unusual noise like somebody moving the complainant's car," a white Pontiac Vibe private car with registration number GR 721-13 parked in front of his sister's house at Lakeside Community 4.

It said she rushed out of the room and saw the car being driven away by an unknown person.

The prosecution said the witness called the complainant on the phone and made a report to the police at Lakeside.

It said the police headquarters was informed about the theft, and the same information was relayed to the patrol teams.

At about 0430 hours, a police patrol team intercepted the vehicle and arrested Issah and two other occupants at Ashaley Botwe.

The prosecution said the two other persons arrested were the towing car driver Nasiru Majeed and Emmanuel Amewornu, his mate, who were now witnesses in the case.

It said Majeed and Amewornu told the police in their caution statement that they had parked their vehicle at the towing station at Zongo Junction, Madina, when Issah engaged them to tow his broken-down vehicle from Ashaley Botwe School's 3rd Gate to his house at Power Land in Madina.

It said Issah also told the police that one Eric had contracted him to use his KIA truck to tow the stolen car to a fitting shop at Atomic Junction.

Issah said in the process, one of the tyres on the KIA truck burst, so Eric allegedly asked him to look for a towing car.

The prosecution said Issah had failed to lead the police to the said Eric.