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General News of Thursday, 9 January 2003

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Pickpockets Terrorize NPP Congress

The three-day Special National Delegates Conference and Congress held in Sekondi-Takoradi over last weekend was a haven for pickpockets who saw the event as a glorious opportunity to rake in a little business.

Though there was a lot of security around, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, who was being escorted by not less than three policemen nearly became the victim of a rather reckless pickpocket who rightly or wrongly thought that the minister would yield him huge profits! The thief managed to remove the Minster's purse from the side pocket of his light blue "abgada" dress without attracting the attention of the police surrounding him. The size of the purse gave the thief up who was grabbed by the minister himself.

The police at this point pounced on the thief and beat the hell out of him until he fell unconscious to the ground while the minister vainly tried to rescue the thief. Some supporters had to be restrained by the police from lynching him. Dr. Apraku was lucky but several other people were not that fortunate.

For instance, an Auntie Theresa of Ablekuma North Constituency was robbed of an amount of 1.5 million cedis at the rally grounds in Takoradi.

The police and party officials have also confirmed receiving several reports of thefts and loss of items including jewellery, watches, mobile phones, car stereos among others.