Surety ordered to pay 300 million cedis

Accra, April 1 GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday ordered Janet Odeh, Trader, who stood as surety for two Liberians to pay 300 million cedis. The Liberians stole 66,000 dollars, belonging to a German and an American.

The accused, Hanson Soume and Alieu Crayton, both Businessmen, have since absconded to Liberia after they were granted bail. The Court presided over by Mr Williwise Kyeremeh, cautioned persons who commit themselves to stand as sureties for accused persons to critically examine bail conditions and their consequences before offering themselves.

He said the Court would not be lenient with sureties if the accused persons absconded, adding that they would be compelled to pay the bail bond.

The case for the Prosecution was that, two years ago, Sabina Treat, an American and Carolyn Howard, a German, met Hanson in Bangkok and they became friends. In April last year Hanson returned to Ghana and invited Sabina to come and spend 10 days with him. The Prosecution said on April 22, Sabina and Howard arrived in the country, and the accused took them to a hotel in the neighbourhood of Spintex Road, where they spent the night together. The two accused persons woke up earlier and stole an amount of 66,000 dollars from Carolyn's bag as well as their bracelets and rings.

The Prosecution said Carolyn detected the theft in the morning and reported the matter to the Police. The accused persons later rang Carolyn and told her that they had intended to lodge the money in the bank but had been arrested by the Police. The Prosecution said Hanson advised Carolyn to return to America since the Police had seized the money, and that they have been repatriated to Liberia. Later the accused persons escaped to Liberia but returned after Carolyn had left the country.

The Prosecution said Carolyn returned into the country on June 25 2003 year and alerted the Police, who traced the accused persons and arrested them at Kasoa. The Prosecution said they admitted the offence, alleging that the actual amount they took was 60,000 dollars, which they shared. The Police managed to retrieve 20,000 dollars from the accused persons, the Prosecution said.