Two in court for breaking into Ambassador's vehicle

Accra July 5, GNA - Two persons, who allegedly broke into a car belonging to Mr Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Ghana's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and made away with foreign currencies, diplomatic passport and two bags containing other valuables on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

George Lankai Lamptey alias Sexual, a welder, and Daniel Odartey Quarcoopme alias Goodman, unemployed, were charged with unlawful entry, causing unlawful damage and stealing.

Marvin Kotey alias Ola and Thomas Kwadwo Opoku, both traders, have also been charged for dishonestly receiving. They pleaded not guilty and the Court remanded them into prison custody to reappear on July 18.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Amegah said the complainants were Mr Bawa and Nana Forson Danso, a businessman and a friend of the Ambassador.

On May 30 2006 both complainants went to Kotoka International Airport to meet the Saudi Prince, who was paying a visit to the country. The Prosecution said complainants parked their vehicle in front of London Restaurant, Airport.

However, after the arrival of the Saudi Prince they returned to their vehicle only to find it broken into and items including 7,800 dollars, two Panasonic and Sumsung phones; two Ghanaian diplomatic passports and a Dutch passport were stolen.

Other items stolen were credit cards; return tickets and unspecified amounts of various currencies.

The Prosecution said a report was made to the Police and on June 16 2006 the Police had tip off that Opoku was offering for sale a diplomatic passport at Tip Toe Lane.

The Police apprehended Opoku and during a search, one diplomatic passport and Ghanaian passport was found on him and he mentioned Kotey as the one, who provided him those passports.

Kotey also mentioned Quarcoopome as the one who gave him the passports. When Quarcoopome was arrested he mentioned Lamptey as his source. Lamptey admitted committing the crime and mentioned Quarcoopome as his accomplice adding that they shared the monies. According to Lamptey, he threw the bag containing the documents into the Korle Lagoon and Kotey also indicated that he threw the Dutch passport into a refuse container at Abossey Okai. 4