2 granted GH¢1.6m bail for allegedly stealing 100kg of gold

Two persons, including a Burkinabe, were yesterday granted GH¢1.6 million bail for allegedly conspiring to steal 100kg of gold valued at $5.8 million.

Per the bail condition, each of them is to produce two sureties whose net salary should not be less than GH¢ 1,000.

Seth Owusu and Bashiru Pafadnam, the Burkinabe, would appear again on October 7.

This was after their counsel, Mr George Asomani argued that his clients had persons of substance to stand as sureties and that they would avail themselves in court.

Abubakar Sadick, an accomplice, is currently at large.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvester Asare told the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Esaandoh, a high court judge sitting with additional responsibility as a circuit court judge that the accused stole the gold belonging to one Raymond Turckson Kobina, a businessman.

He said Sadick who was an employee of Kobina conspired with Owusu and Pafadnam to steal the 100kg of gold, and, subsequently, caused a company called ITALTEC Ghana Limited to ship 5kg valued at $290,000 (GH¢ 1,595,000) to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

ASP Asare told the court that in July, this year, Kobina took delivery of 100 kg of gold from different miners and was awaiting prospective buyers.

The court heard that on July 26, Sadick, who knew where Kobina kept the gold stole and left home.

He said later on the same day, Kobina could not find the gold where he kept it.

ASP Asare stated that Kobina became suspicious and lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service.

Thereafter, the prosecutor said attempts to reach Sadick via the telephone were unsuccessful as Sadick failed to answer his phone calls.

ASP Asare said Kobina later got information that Pafadnam was spotted at a refinery with quantities of gold suspected to be that of the complainant.

The policeman stated that Pafadnam was arrested and led the police to arrest Owusu.

The prosecutor said it came to light in the course of investigations that the accused gave the 100 kg of gold to ITALTEC out of which 5kg was shipped to Dubai.