Stolen item offered for sale to owner

Fortune smiled at Ben Eghan, a trader at Koforidua when a man walked to him unsuspectingly and offered to sell to him his own video deck remote control which was among items and cash of ?105,000 stolen from him.

Police investigations later led to Akwasi Addae, also a trader who allegedly stole the items, a Panasonic video deck with its remote control, a leather bag and a pair of sandals, all valued at ?1.3 million, as well as cash of ?195,000.

He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of unlawful entry and stealing at a Koforidua circuit tribunal which accordingly remanded him in prison custody to reappear at a latter date.

Giving the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Mary Attoh, said both Akwasi and Ben are traders, resident in Koforidua.

He said on August 18, Ben detected that his Panasonic video deck with its remote control, a leather bag, and a pair of sandals all valued at ?1.3 million as well as a cash ?195,000 had been stolen from his room.

She said Ben reported the case to the police and while investigations were being conducted, a witness in the case went to Ben with a Panasonic remote control and attempted to sell it to him.

Chief inspector Attoh said Ben identified it as his and immediately alerted the police who arrested the witness.

She said during interrogation the witness mentioned one Kahlid Nasuru, alias Gasconi, as the one who sold the remote control to him at ?25,000.

She said Kahlid was subsequently arrested and during interrogation he also told the police that he bought the remote control from Akwasi.

The prosecutor said when Akwasi was arrested he admitted having sold the remote control to Nasuru but said he bought it as a mobile phone but later decided to sell it.