Driver’s mate granted bail for stealing fertilizer

A Tarkwa circuit court has granted bail in the sum of GH¢15, 000.00 with two sureties driver, Joseph Mensah and his mate, Joseph Frimpong, charged with stealing 58 boxes of Sidalco liquid fertiliser valued at GH¢13,920.00.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty and would reappear before the court on July 14.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Alex Obeng Asante, that the complainant Doku Allan Ben was the district officer in charge of Cocoa Health and Extension Division at Samreboi, while the accused persons lived at Tanokrom, a suburb of Samreboi.

According to the Prosecutor, on June 20, Lord Lamptey, a witness in the case, hinted the complainant that Mensah, 27, had stolen some Sidalco liquid fertilisers from his depot at Tanokrom and that he had retrieved some of the items from the accused.

When the witness conducted his own investigation, the prosecutor said, he found 15 bottles of the chemicals in the possession of one Kwasi Tekyi, now on the run.

Detective Amponsah said another witness, Efua Yitaba, also informed Lamptey that Mensah brought nine bottles of the chemicals for her to buy but after taking possession, she refused to pay him because she suspected they were stolen items.

This prompted the complainant to take inventory of the stock and found out that 58 boxes of liquid fertiliser, containing 696 bottles, had been stolen from the depot.

The Prosecutor said a report was made to the Samreboi Police so Mensah was arrested.

He told the Police that he sold 10 boxes of the fertiliser containing 120 bottles to Yaw Manu, now at large for GH¢1,000, and shared the proceeds with Frimpong, 25, and some others.