Two held over stolen NIA Laptops granted bail

An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday admitted bailing Frank Nketia, a trader and Victor Maduka a businessman accused of stealing 15 HP Pro book laptops belonging to the National Identification Authority (NIA).

Nketia was granted bail in the sum of GH¢85,000.00 with four sureties, three of whom should be public servants earning not less than GH¢4,000.00, a month.

Maduka was also admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢85,000.00 with two sureties one of whom should be a public officer earning not less than GH¢1,000.00.

The two accused have been variously charged with stealing, possession of the stolen property and dishonestly receiving and have both pleaded not guilty.

Accused persons were granted bail after their respective counsel have applied formally for bail and argued as to why the accused should be admitted to bail before the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh.

The matter has been adjourned to July 6.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rita Yeboah, said on June 12, this year, said the complainant Emmanuel Selby, is the Head of Information Management System at the NIA.

ASP Yeboah said Nketia and Maduka reside at Tetegu and Lapaz respectively.

The Prosecution said in October last year, Government of Ghana procured 5,000 HP Pro book computers from Denmark for NIA to be used in issuing ECOWAS Cards for Ghanaians.

According to ASP Yeboah, in February this year, the NIA detected that 64 pieces of the laptops had been stolen so the authority commenced investigations.

The prosecution said during investigations, it was detected that one of the employees working under the complainant, stole the laptops and disposed 15 of the laptops at Circle in Accra.

The Prosecution said the employee, however, could not lead the Police to the receivers of the stolen laptops.

The prosecution said on May 14, this year, seven of the laptops were retrieved from a shop at Burma Camp in Accra, and when the serial numbers of the laptops were scanned, they were found to be among the NIA laptops procured.

The prosecution said further investigations revealed that in March this year, Nketia after bargaining bought and received 12 laptops from two other persons who are now at large.

He said Nketia called Maduka who came to purchase the laptops at a cost of GH¢1,500.00 each.

ASP Yeboah said during the lockdown some Nigerian businessmen at Circle had their shops closed and Maduka’s shop too was closed as well but he managed to give the laptops to a friend to sell it for him and so one shop supervisor at Burma Camp bought them and was issued with a receipt.

The prosecution said Nketia and Maduka admitted the offences in their cautioned statements