Two men were yesterday convicted by an Accra circuit court on their own plea of guilty for stealing, but sentence was deferred to June 19, 2017.
Alhassan Abubakari and Matthew Karl Amankwah, stole 583 bags of rice, 86 boxes of assorted cooking oil and 60 boxes of Tommy Tom tomato paste, all valued at GH¢103,350.00 from a trader at the Makola Market, in Accra, between January and March 2016.
The court presided by Madam Jane Harriet Akwele Quaye, granted five traders GH¢50,000.00 bail with two sureties each for dishonestly receiving 117 bags of rice, 17 boxes of cooking oil and 12 boxes of Tommy Tom tomato paste valued at GH¢20,669.00.
They are: Dramani Issifu, Philomina Anang, Esther Nii Quaye, Nana Ama Agyei and Liala Adams.
However, Alhassan and Matthew had refunded a total amount of GH¢6,200.00 whilst four of the traders accused of dishonestly receiving also refunded GH¢3,000.00 each except Liala Adams.
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu said that Alhassan Abubakari and Matthew Karl Amankwah, were store and warehouse attendants respectively to the complainant, Madam Linda Okyere, who is a businesswoman at the Makola Market.
He said that the other five accused were also traders at the same market (Makola).
During the first quarter of 2016, Madam Okyere was said to have received information that the two convicts (Alhassan and Karl Amankwa) were stealing rice, tomato paste and cooking oil she had stored in a warehouse.
According to the prosecutor, she confronted them and Alhassan readily admitted to the offence and later mentioned Karl Amankwah, as his accomplice when the police arrested him for questioning.
They further gave out the names of the five traders as the buyers of their stolen goods and they were also picked up but Dramani Philomina, Esther and Nana Ama, were able to refund GH¢3,000.00 each as the value of the quantity of items they collected from Alhassan and Karl Amankwah except Liala who did not make any payment.
Chief Inspector Adu said that, a stock taken by the complainant between January and March (first quarter) in 2016, revealed that the total amount of goods stolen within that period was GH¢103,352.00.
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