Three elders in court over double sale of toilet facility

Accra Oct. 29, GNA - Four elders of the Odorkor Tsui Maami who allegedly sold a disputed toilet facility worth GHC 20,000 to a businesswoman on Wednesday appeared before a Circuit Court charged with conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences. Samuel Okaikwei Tetteh, Emmanuel O. Sikatse, Asafo Budu and Alhaji Ibrahim have pleaded not guilty and are on bail. They will reappear on November 17. In their explanation they told the court that they locked, which had been sold to the complainant because of an order of another court. The court presided over Mr C. A. Wilson asked the complainant Madam Veronica Hammond to take civil action in the matter. Assistant Commission of Police (ACP) Elizabeth Allandu told the court that the accused persons owned a toilet at Odorkor which was given to someone to run.

In March this year, the accused persons closed down the toilet and declared their intention to sell it because the caretaker was not running it properly. The prosecution said a witness informed the complainant about the sale and she expressed interest after inspecting it. The complainant through the witness bargained for GHC 20,000 cedis and she paid for it.

The prosecution said Tetteh, Sikatse and Budu therefore introduced Ibrahim to the complainant as their secretary who would receive the money and issue a receipt to her. The prosecution said the complainants therefore handed over the money to Ibrahim and receipt was issued. Tetteh, Sikatse and Budu prepared documents on the toilet and handed it over to the complainant, who operated it for two weeks. The accused persons later went to lock it saying the Accra Metropolitan Assembly had declined to the use of the place as a "public toilet." However, Tetteh was later seen operating it. The prosecution said investigations revealed that the accused persons had signed a 15-year agreement on the toilet with another operator who was running it initially.

The complainant therefore reported the matter to the Police and Tetteh, Sikatse and Budu were arrested. The three admitted the offence but stated that they only received GHC 3,000 cedis. Ibrahim who was later on arrested admitted collecting GHC 20,000 cedis from the complainant and handed same to Tetteh, Sikatse and Budu.