Soap Seller Steals Two Phones

A-23-year-old trader, who sells a locally made soap known as “Tamale Banku” or “Azumah Nelson Blows” run out of luck when three mobile phones he allegedly stole from other traders at Buipe were retrieved from him by the Police Highway Patrol team stationed at the Soronuase toll booth on the Kintampo-Tamale road.

The patrol team did not only retrieve the phones from Awudu Alidu, but also arrested him and sent him to the Kintampo North Municipal Police station where he was processed after investigations and put before the Kintampo Magistrate court in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Alidu, who appeared before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, was charged with stealing. He pleaded not guilty but was remanded in prison custody and would re-appear before the court.

When Alidu was arrested he told the police that he found the phones in a black polythene bag which was on the ground along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to bath.

But the complainants, John Duut and Peace Boku, who went to the Kintampo Police Station after Alidu was arrested identified the phone as theirs.

Prosecuting, Inspector Wisdom Ahiakpor told the court that Duut and Peace as well as Alidu are traders and resided at Buipe and Techiman, respectively.

He said on October 25, 2010, Duut and Peace went to the market at Buipe to sell and buy goods and while attending to customers they left their phones on the table they were selling on.

Insp. Ahiapkor said Duut and Peace returned to find out that the phones had been stolen and started to conduct their own investigations.

The prosecutor said on the sameday about 7.10 p.m. the patrol team on duty at Soronuase toll booth stopped a Tico taxi cab at the toll booth and during a search in the taxi, Alidu was found with three mobile phones and a cash of GhÒ68.50.

Insp. Ahiakpor said when the police questioned Alidu as to how he got the said items he could not give any tangible reason so he was arrested and sent to the Kintampo Police Station.

He said during interrogation, Alidu stated that he went to the Buipe Market to sell soap and realised the money from the sale of the soap.

According to him, he found the phones on the ground hid in a black polythene bag along the Black Volta River at Buipe where he went to take a bath.

He said Duut and Peace came to the Kintampo Police station and identified the phones as theirs and after investigation Alidu was charged with the offence.