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The President of National Farmer and Fishermen Award Winners Association Ghana Philip Abayori, Chief of Baatan of Aketesuah Eric Nana Ebo Aikins and three other accused persons have been dragged to the Accra Circuit Court yesterday, for allegedly buying stolen building materials to the tune of GHS 1,503,316.22.

The first accused (A1) Eric Nana Ebo Aikins, second accused person (A2) Francis Mantey, pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and stealing while the third, fourth and fifth accused persons pleaded not guilty to dishonestly receiving stolen goods.

The court, presided over by Judge Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison (Mrs.) granted the first and second accused persons bail in the sum of GH 1.5 million with four sureties to be justified providing a valid photo identity card, and investigators to check their residence while the third (A3), fourth (A4), fifth (A5) accused persons were granted bail in the sum of GHS 150,000 with two sureties to be justified, with a worker not earning less than GHS 1,000.

The Judge further issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the sixth accused person.

Counsel for A3, A4, A5 pleaded with the court to grant his clients bail as their offence was a bailable offence and as they have pleaded not guilty to the charges. He stated that Eric Aikins was a close confidant of the Complainant and also the Baatanhene of Aketesuah in the Central region and sits in the Adonteng Palace.

He said the Chief’s private and social standing made him easy to be located and that the first accuse had medical challenges which had caused him to be admitted at the police hospital twice since he was arrested last Friday.

He pleaded with the court to admit him on bail on reasonable conditions in order to seek medical care.

Jerry Avenogbo, Counsel for A3, A4 and A5 associating himself to the plea of the A1and A2’s lawyer further said the three accused persons had been buying construction products and issued a receipt from the store which had turned out to be a warehouse.

He said Philip Abayori (A3) the CEO of Agro Tropics Limited has the number of the Complainant and on several occasions call the Complainant at his selling point.

The Prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Tuaruku Duuti, told the court he was not against their bail but the accused persons must be available to re-appear for investigations.

The facts of the case are that the Complainant, Eric Johnson is the Chief Executive of Intermerc Ghana limited located at Tesano, whilst accused persons Eric Nana Ebo Aikins, Francis Mantey, Philip Abayori, Emmanuel Ayisadu, Richmond Voegborlo and Mohammed Shaibu are trader, mason, businessman, contractor and a mason respectively.

Complainant is a close associate to (A1) Eric Nana Ebo Aikins for the past ten years and has engaged him as his supervisor of his various projects. During the year 2010, A1 employed A2 Francis Mantey, and two other people to mold blocks at the Complainant’s warehouse at Abelenkpe upon the instructions of the Complainant to enable him use the blocks to construct a six storey hotel building at Dzorwulu.

Complainant however, deposited 215.1 tonnage (mt) of various sizes of iron rods to the tune of GHS 521,520.00, 2492 meters of electrical cable of various sizes and types value at GHS 747,814.14 and 57,999 pieces of sandcrete blocks of various sizes and types value at GHS 315,168.00 at the warehouse all to the tune of GHS 1,584,502.00 with some other building material for the safe keeping of his project.

Complainant then handed over the warehouse keys to A1 as the Supervisor. After one year of molding the blocks, A2 was again employed by A1 upon the instructions of the Complainant as a care taker to the warehouse.

A2 was however accommodated to live with his family in the premise of the warehouse for the safe keeping of the building materials. On February 1, 2016, Complainant sent a witness in this case to the warehouse and on arrival, he discovered stolen almost all the building materials. Complainant was quickly informed and he rushed to the warehouse at Abelemkpe and the project site at Dzorwulu only to confirm the disappearance of his building materials, GHS 504,520.22 of the iron rods, GHS 253,074.00 of the sandcrete blocks and GHS 745,722.00 of the electrical cables stolen all to the tune of GHS 1,502,316.22.

Complainant immediately suspected his supervisor and the caretaker of the theft. On February 17, 2016 Complainant reported the case to the police. In the cause of the investigations A1 and A2 were arrested from their various hideouts for investigations.

A1 and A2 in the cause of the investigations admitted the offence in their caution statements and stated having stolen the building materials on different occasions and sold it to many people who include A3, Philip Abayori, A4 Emmanuel Ayisadu, A5 Richmond Voanwzor, and A6 Mohammed Shaibu.

A1 and A2 however led the police to the arrest of A3, A4, A5 and A6 but could not lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects. After investigations accused persons were charged with the respective offences and arraigned before the honorable court.

The case was adjourned to March 1, 2016.