Restaurant supervisor appears in court for stealing

Rexford Bandoh, a restaurant supervisor at the Planters Lodge in Takoradi, on Monday appeared before the Takoradi Circuit Court “B” for allegedly stealing an amount of GHC12,350 belonging to a guest of the hotel.

The Court granted the accused, who pleaded not guilty, a bail of GHC 20,000 with two sureties to re-appear on November 13 this year.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Seth Ahelegbe, said at about 22.00 hours on October 17, this year, the management of the Planters Lodge informed the Police that they have arrested the accused person for stealing GHC12,350 belonging to one George Quarteng-Mensah, a guest at the hotel.

He said the Police went to the hotel and met the accused and the manager and during interrogation, the accused person denied the allegation until a CCTV footage was played showing the accused person opening the bag of the guest and removing one brown file and two white envelopes.

Inspector Ahelegbe said the Police arrested the accused and took him to the Police Station but again denied the offence in his caution statement.

He said further investigations revealed that Quarteng-Mensah and his foreign business partners, who lodged at the hotel, went to the restaurant to take their meal.

Inspector Ahelegbe said after the meal, Quarteng-Mensah left his handbag containing some personal documents and the money in the restaurant when leaving for a meeting at the hotel.

He said Quarteng-Mensah did not find the handbag when he went back to the restaurant but was directed to the front desk restaurant where it was handed over to him.

Inspector Ahelegbe said Quarteng-Mensah opened the bag for inspection and discovered that the money had been stolen and reported the incident to the manager of the hotel.