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CHRISTIAN WITT, the German national standing trial at an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly kidnapping the CEO of Europapee Company Limited with the help two accomplices on Tuesday breathed some air of freedom. The accused person, a scientist and his suspected accomplices Edward Kwadwo Appiah, a taxi driver and Bartholomew Chirapanga, a businessman were each granted GH�10,000 bail with two sureties while the German was to surrender his passport to police. The trial judge, Doris Bempong granted the bail. This was after counsel for the accused persons Messrs. Ekow Korsah and Abukari Alhassan prayed the court to grant their clients bail. They said at the right time they would prove that the accused persons were innocent and not kidnappers as the complainant wanted everybody to believe. The complainant Nana Kwadwo Ofosu Aryee who was not in court on the day the trial began sent a representative to tell the court that he was out of jurisdiction. This explanation did not sit well with counsel for the accused persons who were of the opinion that Nana should have been in court. The case has been adjourned to September 7, 2011. The three persons found themselves in the dock after they allegedly kidnapped the head of Europapee over allegations that he had defrauded the German a few years ago. The accused persons, who reportedly entered the Euopapee premises with the help of eight policemen, took all the workers there hostage after which the CEO, Nana Kwadwo Ofosu Aryee was blindfolded and taken to a pit around Akatamanso. There he was allegedly put in a dug pit and forced to sign a document that he owed Witt $75,000 or he would be buried alive. They were charged with conspiracy and kidnapping and pleaded not guilty. Narrating the facts leading to the arrest of the accused persons, the prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Peter Benneh told the court that the complainant in the case is Nana Aryee, the CEO of Europapee, a company that deals in gold in the Accra suburb of East Legon. According to him on August 1, 2011, the German national went to the complainant�s office and told him that somewhere in 2009, he transferred $75,000 to a certain George Alhassan to buy him gold and that he suspected that person was Nana. Prosecution said the complainant denied he was one who received the said amount and consequently asked the accused person to substantiate the allegation with relevant documents or report to the police for the matter to be investigated. According to him, on August 5, 2011, Witt hired two taxis, one driven by Appiah with registration number GE5097-11which is a Toyota Corolla and entered the company premises of the complainant. The police officer noted that Appiah was accompanied by eight policemen who held all the workers hostage there and seized their mobile phones. He added that Nana who was inside his office and saw what was happening hid himself in the boys� quarters. Furthermore he said the accused persons and the police saw him in the boy�s quarters and broke the door open after which they blindfolded him and pushed him into the taxi being driven by Appiah. In addition prosecutor stated that the CEO was escorted to Ashiaman in one taxi with an unknown registration number while two motorbikes accompanied them. He said Mr. Ofosu Aryee was later taken to a forest between Akatamanso and Adenta where he was put in a pit covered with wood and weeds in an attempt to bury him alive in the presence of Witt. Chief Inspector Benneh noted that the German national demanded $75,000 or he would have him killed but the CEO offered $50,000 and called one of his workers to bring the money. The prosecutor observed that Nana called a complainant in the case, who was able to raise $17,000. He was asked by the accused persons to deposit it at Tema Motorway roundabout before the complainant would be set free. According to him, the witness went to the Tema Roundabout and gave the money to the accused persons who after receiving it failed to release the CEO but rather took him to Ashiaman and hid him in an uncompleted building. He said the accused persons again took Nana to the said pit and demanded $5,000 in order to release him. They subsequently forced him to put into writing that he owed Witt $75,000 and that he would pay it back in gold equivalent and made him sign the document under duress. He said the witness in the case was called by the complainant to bring an additional GH�5,000 to Witt and his accomplices but in the process of doing so, he was informed that Nana had been freed. The police officer said on August 12, 2011 the three accused persons were arrested when they went to the complainant�s office to collect the money but their accomplices managed to run away. He said efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining suspects while the case was still under investigation.