General News of Friday, 31 March 2017

Source: classfmonline.com

BNI, CID chase Dumelo for 'stolen' state SUVs

John Dumelo is alleged to have 'stolen' a state vehicle John Dumelo is alleged to have 'stolen' a state vehicle

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service are preparing a docket on actor John Dumelo for “car theft” charges, Mr Kwame Baffoe, Supervisor of the Task Force on the Retrieval of State Assets, has revealed.

“…The CID, the BNI are holding a docket on that and at the appropriate time, he will be arraigned before court and he should be charged for theft because this is a criminal offence,” adding that “very soon,” Ghanaians should expect Mr Dumelo to be prosecuted for allegedly stealing state cars.

“He should be charged for theft because this is criminal,” Mr Baffoe added.

Mr Dumelo, who is a staunch supporter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is currently under investigation by the two state security agencies for possessing two state Land Cruiser V8s which, according to Mr Baffoe, he (Dumelo) claimed was given to him by former First Lady Lordina Mahama.

“We approached him at the fitting shop, somebody alerted us, and then we went to the owner of the fitting shop and he [mechanic] admitted that indeed, John Dumelo brought the vehicle for remodeling.

“Then we approached John Dumelo, the chassis number and everything clearly show that the Government of Ghana is the importer of the vehicle in question. Then we called Dumelo [and asked him] who gave the vehicle to him, he mentioned the former First Lady’s name and then I said whether it has been transferred in his name or not we need the documents because there are so many vehicles that have been sold out and, if, indeed, it formed part of the vehicles that have been sold out, he should give us the documents.

“And he said he had no documents covering the vehicles and it had not been sold, it was given to him by the former First Lady. We are having all the documents concerning the car in question,” Mr Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC told Joy FM on Thursday, 30 March 2017.

He said the Task Force has also got the chassis number of the other SUV and “tracing it and very soon we’ll get it.”

Meanwhile, Mr Baffoe has revealed that 23 state vehicles have been retrieved from former national security officers and other small parties which were given state cars by the Mahama administration to campaign for the NDC during last year’s general elections.

He also said 17 tipper trucks and bulldozers belonging to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development have been retrieved and parked at the Regional Coordinating Council in Brong Ahafo.

Mr Baffoe also said 14 state vehicles are expected to be retrieved on Friday, 31 March.

The Akufo-Addo government says there are about 234 state vehicles that have gone missing and being sought for by national security.