Policeman on 20 million cedi bail for abetment

Tema, June 7, GNA - A Tema Circuit Court 'B' on Monday granted bail in the sum of 20 million cedis with a surety to a Police Constable for his alleged involvement in the stealing of assorted beads valued at 1.5 million cedis.

This followed an advice from the Attorney General's office after the docket on the case was referred to it about seven years ago. The accused, Joseph Kwaku Baako, pleaded not guilty to abetment of crime and would reappear before the court on June 21, this year. A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of a second accused, Lance Corporal Kwame Nkrumah of the Ghana Army, who had also been charged with stealing.

The facts of the case as presented by Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor were that on June 9, 1997, Baako and Nkrumah, while on duty at the Ashaiman Police Barrier, stopped a vehicle for a routine search. Chief Inspector Nutakor said during the search Baako took three assorted beads from a showcase belonging to one Kofi Asare, father of the complainant in the case, and passed it on to Nkrumah. She said Nkrumah immediately joined a Jeep and drove away towards Doryumu junction.

A complaint was made to the Police and the two accused persons were arrested. 07 June 04