Court grants student and four others bail

Akyem Swedru, Feb. 16, GNA - The Akyem Swedru Circuit Court on Friday granted a student and four others bail in the sum of 30 million cedis with two sureties each to reappear on February 28 on four counts of conspiracy to steal, unlawful entry, causing unlawful damage and stealing.

Richard Newton, a second year student of the Akyem Oda Saint Francis Secondary School, Richard Gyasi, unemployed, George Asiamah a labourer, David Oppong Marfo a welder, and Kennedy Kwasi Afful pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They court ordered them to report every day to the police. One Charles and Gabby connected with the case are on the run and the police are looking for them.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Alice Appiakorang told the court presided over by Mr Edward Kwame Bosompem Apenkwah that the complainant is a trader resident at Akyem Swedru. She said Gyasi was an employee of the complainant but was dismissed when he was not accounting properly for the daily sales and was found stealing from the sales.

The prosecutor said after Gyasi was dismissed the complainant experienced attacks in his residence in attempts to burgle him. On January 21 whist the complainant and his family were at Sunday service, the accused persons and those at large arrived at Akyem Swedru from Akyem Oda on the invitation of Gyasi to steal from the complainant's house.

The accused persons were in the house operating when one Thomas Aggrey, a neighbour, saw them and raised an alarm. Before bolting away the accused persons damaged a door lock valued at 180,000 cedis.

Asiamah, Marfo, Newton and Afful were arrested at Akyem Oda and mentioned Gyasi as the one who conspired with them to burgle his former employer.