Devtraco missing Air-Conditions: Three persons granted GH¢50,000.00 bail

The Kaneshie District Court Two has granted three persons a GH¢50,000.00 bail with two sureties each over an alleged theft of air conditioners, and earth rods valued GH¢33,000.00 belonging to Devtraco.

The Court presided over by Ama Adomako-Kwakye ordered that George Kofi Kwao, Oppong Mensah, and Sampson Sarkodie, the accused persons, reported to the Police every two weeks on Mondays, starting from Monday, October 1, 2023, until the final determination of the case.

Kwao and Mensah denied conspiring to steal the items whilst Sarkodie denied attempted dishonestly receiving the stolen items.

They will make their next appearance on November 7, 2023.

Police Chief Inspector Apewah Achana giving the facts said Kwao was a cleaner, 24, Mensah, a private security guard, 29, and Sarkodie, 38, a shop keeper.

The complainant, he said, was the Project Manager at Devtraco Company Limited and lived at Adom Estate, Community 25, Tema.

He said Kwao lived in Tema while Mensah was staying at Ablekuma.

Chief Inspector Achana said Sarkodie, a dealer in air conditioners, lived at Kasoa.

The court heard that on September 18, 2023, at about 0300 hours whilst the investigator Chief Inspector Morrison Braimah Adams and other two police officers were performing snap checks duty at Powerhouse near Engineers, Roman Ridge, they stopped a cream and yellow Toyota Vitz with registration number GC5975-22 for normal checks.

The prosecution said when the police threw light into the taxi, they saw Kwao, the driver of the taxicab and three sets of three Samsung air conditioners as well as three copper electric earth rods.

It said when Kwao was questioned about the ownership of the items, he said they belonged to his boss and that he was taking them to him in Accra.

Upon further interrogations, Kwao informed the police that he stole them with the assistance of Mensah at the construction site of Devtraco at Roman Ridge and that he was taking them to Sarkodie, who he had already informed about the plan to steal the items and sell to him.

The prosecution said police arrested Kwao and the driver and sent them to the Kotobabi Police Station for investigation.

The project Manager of Devtraco Company Limited was later informed about the incident and he followed up to the Kotobabi Police Station and lodged a complaint, the Court heard.

During investigation, Kwao led police to arrest Sarkodie at his shop at Rawlings Park, Accra.

It said in investigation cautioned statements taken from them, they all admitted the offences.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that on September 1, 2023, Mensah contacted Kwao and informed him that some of the 400 sets of Samsung air conditioners that Devtraco bought for a building project at Roman Ridge were still available so, they should steal some and sell.

Kwao, he said, bought the idea and Mensah again asked him to look for someone who could buy the Samsung air conditioners.

It said Kwao obliged and went to Accra in search of a buyer, and he was directed to Sarkodie.

Kwao then told Sarkodie the plans he had hatched with Mensah to steal the air conditioners and sell, thus, Sarkodie told Kwao that because they were going to steal the items, he would not buy them at the market price.

The prosecution said he allegedly told Kwao that he would only pay GHC3,000.00 per a set of the air conditioner and Kwao agreed.

It said said Kwao communicated the agreed price to Mensah and on September 18, 2023, Kwao called Sarkodie that he had succeeded in stealing the items so, he was bringing them to him and Sarkodie said he would be waiting for him at his shop with GHC9,000.000 for the three sets.

The prosecution said satisfied with that, Kwao and Mensah went into the warehouse of Devtraco at Roman Ridge and stole the items and passed them over the wall where Kwao stopped the taxi and asked him to take him to Sarkodie’s shop in Accra.

It said investigations also showed that the market price of a set of Samsung air conditioner was GHC9,000.00 and that of the earth rod was GHC2,000.00.

The prosecution said all valued at GHC33,000.