Two held over cocoa theft

Akyem Oda, April 7, GNA - Two persons who allegedly stole 1,020 bags of cocoa valued at 637.5 million cedis belonging to the Produce Buying Company(PBC) have been arrested by the Akyem Oda Divisional Police.

The Akyem Oda Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Ben Atadana said the names of the suspects were being withheld pending further investigation.

Chief Superintendent Atadana in an interview with the Ghana News Agency(GNA), said one of the suspect, a driver of a Benz articulated truck with registration number GR 7690 G approached the PBC Depot Keeper of Akyem Oda on March 9, with a waybill, which mandated the driver to haul cocoa from the depot to the Tema Harbour.

He said the truck was loaded with 510 bags of cocoa and the driver and his accomplice left with an accompanying waybill ostensibly to the Tema Harbour.

The police chief said the two suspect returned to the same depot on March 17 and loaded another consignment of 510 bags of cocoa to the Tema Harbour.

According to Chief Supt Atadana, on March 31, an audit team made the Depot Keeper aware that the bags of cocoa had not been delivered at the Tema Port.

He said a report was made to the police and when the two suspects went to the depot to convey another consignment of the cocoa the next time, policemen arrested them and impounded the articulated truck. 7 April 2005