Chief, two others in court for stealing GH¢2,600 worth of cocoa
Three accused persons, who allegedly conspired and stole GH¢2,600.00 worth of cocoa pods, have been granted a total of GH¢9,000.00 bail by a circuit court at Akim Swedru.
Nana Adu Acheapong, Kojo Adu and Kofi Asante pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and stealing.
The court presided over by Mr. Yaw Atta Sampong granted Acheampong, Kojo and Asante bail in the sum of GH¢3,000 each to reappear on February 21.
Detective Inspector Kwaku Appiah told the court that the complainant, Ernest Apou, is a plumber at Akim Oda, and a native of Akim Abenase, while Nana Acheampong is the Nifahene of Akim Abenase and Kojo and Asante are farmers in the same town.
Inspector Appiah said the complainant’s father died and Nana Acheampong succeeded him and therefore, took possession of the properties including cocoa farms.
Mr. Apou’s mother approached the chief and requested to have a portion of her late husband’s farm to enable her harvest to take care of her children, but Nana Acheampong asked her to bring GH¢600.00 and a sheep.
The widow felt cheated by the chief’s demand for the money and the sheep so she took the matter to the court.
On August 10, 2010 judgement was entered in her favour, as such she gave the cocoa farm to the complainant to work on it.
Inspector Appiah said on November 9, 2010, Apou went to the farm and harvested a quantity of the pods (about 13 bags of cocoa beans) estimated at GH¢2,600, which was hipped on the farm.
Apou then left the farm to go and organize people to come and assist him to remove the beans from the pods. But when they returned to the farm, all the pods had disappeared and the three were suspected.
Inspector Appiah said ”all the three accused persons went behind the complainant to steal the pods to an unknown place”, adding that when the case was reported to the Police, the accused persons were arrested and during interrogation Nana Acheampong admitted stealing the pods from the farm, while Kojo and Asante denied the offence.
Source: GNA