Labourer remanded for breaking into 2 offices and stealing

SourceGNA

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An Adentan Circuit Court has remanded into police custody a labourer accused of breaking into two different offices at East Legon, Accra.

Richard Bajian is said to have broken into the office of Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) Ghana and made away with four laptop computers, Samsung mobile phone, four laptop computer chargers all valued at GH¢25,300.

The accused allegedly also broke into the office of Millenium Promise Alliance and caused damage to a glass door valued at GH¢1,450.

Charged with two counts of unlawful entry, two counts of causing unlawful damage and stealing, Bajian, 23, pleaded not guilty.

The court declined Bajian’s bail and ordered the prosecution to furnish it with a Madina District Court proceedings which indicated that the accused had been convicted and sentenced to seven months imprisonment on a similar charge.

The court presided over by Sedinam Awo Balokah ordered the prosecution to furnish defence counsel with other documents and file their disclosures.

The court order came after the prosecution indicated that the accused person had been convicted and sentenced by a Madina Court on a similar charge and described him as a “criminal”.

Mr Yaw Dankwah, the defence counsel, objected to the prosecution’s claim that the accused person was a criminal.

The matter has been adjourned to November 20, 2023.

The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo said the first complainant, Barbara Wudah, is an administrator of Millenium Promise Alliance, and the second complainant is Nathaniel Acckon, an IT officer of CAMFED Ghana.

It said Baijan is a labourer residing at Ayigbe Town, Shiashie.

According to the prosecution, on October 28, 2023, at about 1500 hours, Baijan scaled the wall of Millenium Promise Alliance and entered the premises with the intent to steal.

According to the prosecution, Baijan broke the main glass door with a cutlass and entered the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera room, where he disconnected the links to avoid being identified.

The camera, however, had filmed him earlier when he entered the premises.

The prosecutor told the court that Baijan ransacked the CCTV room, but he did not steal anything.

The prosecution said the same day at about 1530 hours, Bajian entered CAMFED Ghana’s office which was located close to the Millenium Promise Alliance.

At CAMFED Ghana Office, the prosecution said Bajian used a pair of scissors to force open the kitchen security door and caused damage to a glass door where a server was located.

The prosecution said Baijan ransacked the room and took away four computers, four computer chargers and a Samsung mobile phone.

Baijan packed the items into a bag pack and climbed a ladder into an uncompleted building.

The prosecution said one David Tetteh, a witness in the case spotted Baijan and raised an alarm.

It said Baijan took to his heels but was given a hot chase by some witnesses.

Baijan was arrested and handed over together with the items he had stolen to a Ghana Police Service patrol Team.

The prosecution said Baijan was “a known criminal and that on April 13, 2023, the accused committed a similar offence, and he was tried and sentenced to seven months imprisonment by the District Court at Madina. The court was presided over by Ms Susana Nyakotey.”