Five in court for stealing

Five people accused of stealing assorted items to the tune of GH¢222,000 cedis at a warehouse belonging to Far East Mercantile Limited have appeared before a Circuit Court in Accra.

The five: Joseph Lamptey, a security Officer; Godswill Antwi and Gershon Adzatse, both salesmen; Yaw Agyei, a driver and Alexander Nti a trader, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.

Joseph Lamptey was additionally charged with unlawful entry.

The five denied the charges and they have been admitted to bail by the Court presided over by Ms Patricia Quansah.

Lamptey, Antwi, Adzatse and Agyei have been admitted to bail in the sum of 250,000 with two sureties each.

Nti was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 cedis with one surety whiles two other accomplices, namely one Godfred and Raphael are at large.

They are to reappear on February 24.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector Francis Tarsan said the Transport and Security Manager of Far East Mercantile Limited is the complainant in the matter.

He said the accused persons were workers of the company except Godfred and Raphael who are casual labourers and Nti, a trader.

Chief inspector Tarsan said the wholesale of Far East Mercantile Limited which is located at North Kaneshie distributes Mcvities products and Mentos gum among others.

He said the company’s wholesale warehouse has two metal wheel gates with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras positioned in and out of the premises.

Prosecution said between December 12 and 20, Lamptey, Antwi, Adzatse, Agyei planned with Godfred and Raphael to steal from the warehouse.

Chief Inspector Tarsan said on December 13, last year, Antwi and Adzatse who are in charge of the company’s vans gave Godfred and Raphael their keys to the warehouse and the two stuffed the two vans and a Kia truck with the company’s products, totalling GH¢220,000.

He said the accused persons sent the items to an unknown destination.

Lamptey, Godfred and Raphael on December 20, went on the companies premises again and stole items totalling GH¢3,960.

The following day, the complainant detected the theft as the CCTV captured their operations and reported the matter to the Police.

Prosecution said investigations led to the arrest of Nti who had some of the items in his house.