Caterer Grabs Ex-Lover's Property

A caterer, desirous of taking possession of the personal effects of her ex-boyfriend, formally resident in the country, has been arraigned before an Accra circuit court on charges of stealing.

Doris Oparebea Anim, who was alleged to have on two occasions succeeded with the help of some top officials at the Immigration Service, repatriated her ex-boyfriend, Roland Schot, a Dutch national, to Holland.

Doris, having been accused of stealing various items valued at ?31,950,000, pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by His Lordship Emmanuel Ankamah.

The items include a 20-foot container, a VW L/T van with registration number GR 1753 H, a deep freezer, 2 gas cookers (big and small), a complete double bed, a small colour Television set and a translate computer.

Others are a kitchen cabinet, a grinding machine, a double cassette deck player, a compact disc player with discs, an amplifier, a welding machine and a tool box containing tools.

The accused is currently on a ?50million bail with a surety. Presenting the facts of the case, District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Elizabeth Alomatu, told the court that due to a misunderstanding that ensued between accused and her ex-boyfriend, the former lodged a complaint with the Legon police of threats allegedly received from the latter.

Following the report of threat, the complaint (Schot) was arrested.

While investigations were going on, the prosecutor told the court, the accused in alleged collusion with some ten top officials of the Immigration Service condoned and succeeded in having Schot re-arrested over trumped up immigration formalities.

Continuing, DSP Alomatu said Schot was then detained for over a year before being repatriated to Holland.

While Schot was making efforts at returning to the country to claim his personal properties then in the possession of his second wife at Madina, the prosecutor said the accused in furtherance to permanently keep the complainant out of the country, quickly filed an ex-parte motion at a civil court.

According to the prosecutor, Doris, armed with a court order to specifically take possession of the VW L/T van, 20 feet container and a refrigerator quickly took along some unknown policemen to Madina in March last year and forcibly collected the listed items including other unspecified items.

The action taken by the accused, the prosecutor said, was contrary to the orders of the court for interim preservation.

Consequently, Schot was informed about the developments and quickly returned to the country upon obtaining a visa from the Ghana Mission in The Netherlands.

The prosecutor told the court that when the accused got to know of the return of Schot in the country, she contacted her collaborators in the Immigration Service to arrest the complainant, leading to his repatriation.

Schot, keen on seeking justice petitioned the Ghanaian authorities through his counsel upon which he was granted leave to enter the country.

He then lodged a formal complaint to the police and the accused was subsequently arrested.

DSP Alomatu told the court that the accused in her cautioned statement admitted taking some of the items but denied the rest.