2 Steal From Auto Zone

Two persons have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing a total of GH¢16,786 belonging to Auto Zone Company Limited.

They are Prosper Atimpe, a dispatch rider and John Apure, marketer.

Apure has been slapped with two additional charges of abetment of crime and compounding crime contrary to section 234 of Act 29/60.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector K. Adu said that Apure on June 6, 2014 at East Legon received GH¢4,000 from Atimpe and invested it in his company.

Appearing before a court, presided over by Mrs. Ruby Quaison, the accused persons variously denied the offence and were granted bail.

Atimpe was granted bail in the sum of GH¢18,000 with two sureties, who must be public or private workers earning salaries not less than GH¢1,000.

Apuri, on the other hand, was also granted a GH¢3,000 bail with one surety.

He is to report to the police every Tuesday until otherwise stated by the court.

The case has been adjourned until September 8, 2015.

The facts of the case are that the complainant Samir Masir is the General Manager of the company off the Spintex Road.

He said the accused persons are cousins and that on the said day, Atimpe was sent to cash an Access Bank cheque with a face value of GH¢16,786, adding that after receiving the money from the bank he pocketed it and abandoned the motorbike he was using at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

Chief Inspector Adu said Atimpe met Apuri at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and told him about the stolen money, stating that he informed him that he had used GH¢7,000 to settle his debt.

He said Apuri also told Atimpe to invest some money in the finance company.

The prosecutor said Atimpe gave GH¢4,000 to Apuri for investment and was promised a monthly amount of GH¢400, insisting that Atimpe sent a text message to Samir that he was travelling outside the country and that he would refund the money in two months' time.

Chief Inspector Adu said Atimpe received his interest for the first two months at his hideout in Tamale but did not receive the subsequent ones.

In February 2015, Apuri asked Atimpe to send all the seed money to him because he was jobless and poor.

In June 2015, Apuri sent Atimpe GH¢1,000 and told him that the financial company had been liquidated by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and that the seed money would be paid in installment.

In August 2015, Atimpe, who was unhappy with development, returned to Accra and reported Apuri to the police.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
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