Goat thief faces court action

A 32-year-old taxi driver who allegedly came all the way from Accra to steal 12 goats worth ?2.4million is now before the Agona Swedru Circuit Court.

His accomplices who helped him and stuffed the carcasses into two sacks at Agona Swedru are now at large.

Francis Quaye, alias Dadda Quaye, the driver, is facing a charge of stealing before the court, presided over by Mr P.K. Richardson.

He pleaded guilty with explanation. But after hearing Quaye’s explanation, the judge entered a plea of not guilty for him and remanded him in prison custody for a week remarking that “the accused is unlikely to come for the trial if granted bail.”

Chief Inspector Lydia Vondee, told the court that the complainant is a trader at Yarewa-Zongo, a suburb of Agona Swedru, while Quaye is a driver based in Accra.

She said the people of Yarewa have been experiencing frequent thefts of their goats lately which have necessitated the mobilisation of the youth to keep vigil at night till daybreak.

On September 24, at about 5.30 am, the complainant woke up to the realisation that four of his big goats had been stolen from his pen.

He informed the youth who organised themselves into search parties — some at the roadside while others combed the bush.

The prosecutor said those in the bush spotted Quaye and two others carrying sacks loaded with something.

They confronted the three to ascertain the contents of those sacks. But the two accomplices threw down their loads and fled.

Chief Inspector Vondee said Quaye was arrested and when the sacks were opened, 12 dead goats were found in them.

The youth handed over Quaye to the police, and during interrogation he identified his run-away accomplices as Kojo Nana and Ayipey, and that they all live in Accra.

The prosecutor said on September 27, Quaye took the police round the whole of Accra but they could not trace his accomplices. The police had no alternative but to bring him back to Swedru to be charged with the offence.

Quaye, in his explanation, said it was his car owner who instructed him to drive the two— Nana and Ayipey— to Agona Nyakrom that night.

However, on their arrival at Swedru, the two changed their minds against the trip to Nyakrom, and asked him to park the cab and wait for them at the Texaco area as they went to fetch some load.

He said one of the two later came and called him to join them at where they had gone for the load so he left the cab and followed them.

On reaching the spot, he said he saw two loads in sacks which he was asked to help the two to carry after which he walked with them towards the cab without him knowing the contents of the sacks.

Quaye said after walking a short distance someone shouted “thief! thief!” And this made Nana and Ayipey to throw down their loads and flee.

“I did not run. But I was caught by some people who took me to the police station after opening the sacks to find dead goats in them,” he said and pleaded for leniency.