Transporter and driver remanded on rice diversion

Tema, Dec. 27, GNA - The Tema Circuit Court "B" has remanded in prison custody a driver and transport owner, who diverted 1,000 bags of rice valued at 300 million cedis to Lashibi instead of a warehouse at the Tema Industrial Area. Moro Razak and Alhaji Awudu Musah pleaded not guilty on two counts of conspiracy and stealing. They will reappear on January 13, 2005.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor told the court presided over by Mr Stephen Teye that, during the first week of September 2004, the complainant took a consignment of rice from a vessel at the Tema port and sought the assistance of a witness to clear the rice to a warehouse in Tema near Super Paper Products.

She said on September 16, witness loaded 1,000 bags of 50 kilogram of rice on the truck of the driver, but that day, the truck could not come out of the port.

On September 17, witness came to the port to realise that the loaded truck was not there, and enquiries at the port indicated that the truck left in the night, efforts to locate the truck with registration number AS 2546 P proved futile.

Chief Inspector Nutakor said the police, who were mounting an operation at Lashibi intercepted the truck loaded with rice, and when the vehicle was searched two extra number plates, GT 2277 U and AS 3147 D were found.

A further check revealed that the original registration number of the truck is AS 3141 D and not AS 2546 P, therefore, the driver was arrested.

In his cautioned statement, he mentioned Alhaji Musah as the brain behind the crime, and stated that it was Alhaji Musah, who provided the two fake number plates.

Alhaji Musah was later arrested.