Court grants carpenter bail over theft
A 42-year-old carpenter, who allegedly stole an unregistered 2019 Toyota Highlander valued at GH₵300,000.00 at Kempinski Hotel in Accra, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Mr Devine Amega, who was charged with stealing and dishonestly receiving, pleaded not guilty.
The Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GH₵300,000.00 with two sureties.
The prosecution was directed by the Court to file and serve all disclosures and witness statements.
The matter has been adjourned to April 27, 2023.
The facts as presented by Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, prosecuting, was that the complainant Mr Hope Yaw Lumor was a staff of ABSA Bank while the accused person resided at Klagon, Accra.
The prosecution said on February 9, 2023, the complainant reported working within the exclusive lounge of ABSA Bank located at the premises of Kempinski Hotel where he had parked his unregistered 2019 model Toyota Highlander Ash in colour, valued at GH₵300,000.00 at the car park and entered the lounge to attend to a client.
It said the complainant after conducting business went to the car park for his vehicle but surprisingly it was nowhere to be found.
The prosecution said Police investigation at the car park disclosed that the vehicle was moved from the car park with a cloned ignition key by occupants of a Green Toyota Corolla.
It said it was also detected that the occupants of the vehicle trailed the complainant with the said vehicle for some time before stealing the vehicle from the car park of the Hotel.
The prosecution said on March 1, 2023, Police intercepted a green Corolla Saloon car driven by the accused person at Ashaiman.
It said the Police upon searching for the vehicle recovered one Toyota ignition key, a road worthy and an insurance sticker matching with the registration plate on the Green Toyota Saloon car used in a stealing operation on February 9, 2023, allegedly.
The prosecution said further examination of the Toyota ignition key revealed that it was a duplicate key to the complainant’s stolen Toyota Highlander.
It said a careful examination of the Green Toyota Corolla indicated that the vehicle was the same vehicle used by the accused person and others at large to steal the complainant’s car and thereafter, changed the registration plate on the vehicle in other to evade Police arrest.
The prosecution said the accused person had denied ownership of the said vehicle and mentioned one Sika as the owner, but had not been able to lead Police to get him arrested to assist in the investigation.
It said further investigation disclosed that the Green Toyota Saloon car recovered from the accused person was imported into the country by Kingsley Asubonteng of Raskwa Car Rentals at Kwabenya with wine as its original colour and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) registration number.
“However, the vehicle was stolen from him in April 2022, at Kwabenya, but the colour changed from wine to green, the chassis number altered to read as 2TIBURHEOFC393398 instead of 5YFBURHE4EP164219 and the number plate also changed,” the prosecution said, allegedly.