Court remands two for buying stolen cocoa

Akim Swedru (E/R), April 27, GNA - George Asante, a 60-year-old depot keeper and Stephen Darko, 40, a purchasing Clerk, were on Wednesday remanded in Police custody by the Akim Swedru Circuit Court for dishonestly receiving 200 bags of cocoa valued at about 140 million cedis.

The two persons whose plea were not taken, were alleged to have bought 200 bags of cocoa out of a consignment of 1,020 bags of stolen cocoa belonging to the Produce Buying Company (PBC).

They are to re-appear before the court on May 5.

Police Chief Inspector John Padmore Arthur told the court, presided over by Mr Edward Kwame Bosompem Apenkwah, that on March 9, this year, Emmanuel Badu, a 40-year articulated truck driver, conspired with Habid Mohammed, a 45-year-old Bookman, to steal 1,020 bags of cocoa from a shed at Akim Oda.

He said investigations later revealed that Asante, who is a depot keeper at Mepom and Darko, a Purchasing Clerk at Breman, bought 200 bags out of the stolen cocoa.

The Prosecutor said the two accused persons sold some of the stolen cocoa to other suspects who were not immediately available.