Businessman in court over stolen car

A businessman, who allegedly received a stolen car, has been admitted to GH¢370,000.00 bail with three sureties by the Dansoman Circuit Court.

The court, presided over by Madam Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, ordered that two of the sureties must be public servants earning not less than GH¢5,000.00, whilst the other surety must be justified by title deeds.

Fuseini Hashimu, 35, the businessman, shall also deposit his Ghana card at the court’s registry as well as report to the police once every two weeks until otherwise stated by the court. The prosecution is to file disclosures and witness statements for a case management conference and serve Hashimu before August 19, 2024.

Hashimu denied dishonestly receiving a black Honda CR-V vehicle valued at GH¢350,000.00 belonging to Mr. John Arthur, also known as Wofa Atta.

The court heard that Arthur, the complainant in the case, was a businessman and car dealer residing at Tuba in Accra. Hashimu, the accused person, is also a businessman residing at Asokore Mampong, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The prosecution said Mr. Arthur owned a car garage near Panbros Salt Industry and on February 29, 2024, another accused person, on the run, one Ishmael Bashiru, a self-acclaimed friend of Arthur, went to his garage and deceived both Seth Ewool and Alexander Boamah, workers of Arthur and witnesses in the case, that he had been instructed by the complainant to come for a black unregistered Honda CR-V 4X4 vehicle at the garage to work on it at Abbosey Okai.

The court heard that the witnesses obliged and Ewool handed over the vehicle’s keys to him and he later left with them.

Moments later, Mr. Arthur arrived at the garage and inquired about the vehicle and, to his dismay, the witnesses told him that Bashiru had come for the vehicle claiming he had been sent by him—the complainant.

A report was made to the police for investigation, the prosecution told the court, saying that during the investigation, the police visited Hashimu’s house at Accra New Town and met his wife, who confirmed having seen her husband with the vehicle.

The prosecution said efforts made to trace him proved futile and on March 10, 2024, Arthur went to Kumasi in search of the vehicle, and he spotted Hashimu driving it at Sawaba on the Aboabo Number One Road.

With the assistance of Asokore Mampong police, he was arrested. The court was told that on March 11, 2024, Hashimu was transferred to New Weija-Accra for further investigation.

In his investigation cautioned statement, he admitted having met with Bashiru, bargained with him to buy the car but denied buying or driving it. After investigations, he was arraigned.

Counsel, in praying for bail, said the constitution guaranteed the liberty of all persons and that his client was innocent until proven guilty, adding that Hashimu had a fixed place of abode and was a responsible married man. He said he was also the breadwinner and had sureties with substance, who would make sure he stood trial.