TWO SECURITY MEN NABBEDFOR CAR THEFT (Page 54)

08/05/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
Two security operatives who allegedly stole a saloon car from its owner at Abeka and later sold it have been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The two, Corporal Noble Amedahe, 39, of the 48 Engineers Regiment and Constable Edward Addo Appau, 31, of the Accra Regional Police Command, were arrested at the Trade Fair Centre in La following a tip-off.
According to the Director of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, DSP Kwesi Ofori, in February this year, Rashid Bello, a taxi driver, reported that his Opel Astra saloon car had been stolen by members of a patrol team.
He said Rashid told the police that the car, which was at the time bearing an unregistered number plate, was taken by the security men who were on night patrol duties at Abeka.
According to him, Rashid was driving the car in the company of a friend at Abeka, where they attended a wake. Then they were signalled by members of a security team in a patrol car to stop.
He said some of the patrol men pointed their guns at Rashid and his friend and shouted at them to come closer, but for fear that they would be shot, Rashid and his friend bolted, leaving the car behind.
DSP Ofori said one of the patrol men drove off the car, so the following morning Rashid and his friend reported the incident to the Tesano Police and subsequently to the Police Headquarters.
The Public Affairs Director said when all efforts to trace the vehicle failed, Rashid informed his colleague drivers to be on the look out for it.
Three months later, he said, Rashid was informed that the vehicle had been seen in Tema but with a new registration number. However, when he got to the location described to him, the car had been moved from there.
DSP Ofori said a week later the vehicle was seen again by a friend of Rashid’s parked at the Osu Cemetery and he challenged the driver over its ownership.
He said the man who was driving the vehicle gave the contact of two men who had sold the car to him.
Rashid, DSP Ofori said, called the sellers, who happened to be two of the members of the patrol team they had met three months before at Abeka, and told them that the vehicle belonged to him and pleaded with them to return it to him.
He said the two agreed to return the vehicle and demanded GH¢2,000, so Rashid agreed to meet them at the Trade Fair Centre at an appointed time to make the payment.
DSP Ofori said Rashid then reported to the police, who accompanied him for the appointment, during which the two security operatives were arrested.
The soldier has been handed over to the Military Police for further investigations, while the policeman is being kept at the Police Headquarters to assist in investigations.