A 36 year old driver who allegedly dishonestly misappropriated a Toyota Fortuner valued at GHS 400,000 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Cephas Nkebuari is also said to have dishonestly misappropriated GHS 4,000.
He is facing four counts of stealing and possession of forged DVLA documents.
The Court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful did not take his plea but admitted him to bail in the sum of GHS100,000 with three sureties.
The sureties must be family members and one a public servant who earns GHS2,500.00 a month.
The accused is to appear before the Court on February 1, 2023.
Earlier before the Bail, the Counsel for the accused, said Nkebuari was subjected to beating, resulting in a neck fracture and had stayed in the police custody with no proper care.
Defence counsel argued that, the vehicle which was supposedly stolen was now in police possession and prayed to the Court that Nkebuari be granted bail to seek proper medical care.
Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Gulliver Tenkorang prayed the Court that that the accused should remain in police hospital for further treatment.
However, defense counsel opposed to prosecution suggestion that accused person should be offered medical treatment while in police custody.
Briefing the Court of the facts of the case, the prosecution said Madam Dotse Florence, the first complainant, was a fuel attendant at Star oil filling station located at Baatsona, Spintex.
It said the second complainant, Madam Zhang Yang was the Manager of Max Fiber Ghana Limited located at Tema Free-Zone, while the accused was a driver and a resident of Oyibi.
The Prosecution said on November 17, 2022 at about 0400 hours, Nkebuari drove a white Toyota Fortuner Vehicle, 2019 model with fake registration Number GS 9698-22 to Star oil filing station with some empty Jerry cans under the pretext that he was a transporter and needed fuel for his Burkina Faso bound truck to prevent fuel shortages in transit.
It said after the fuel attendant filled 20 Jerry cans of diesel, the accused loaded the fuel into his vehicle and requested the fuel attendant to also fill his vehicle tank with petrol all amounting to GHS 8,500.00.
Thereafter, Nkebuari pretended to be parking properly but sped off without paying.
The Prosecution said a report was made to the Police at Baatsona and with assistance of the Headquarters Police Emergency Command Centre, the vehicle was tracked and located at Oyibi.
It said on December 24, 2022, Nkebuari was arrested and the vehicle was retrieved from his house with fitted siren.
A search conducted in his room uncovered two Jerry cans with some quantity of petrol and non Citizen-Ghana identity card, bearing the name of Zhang Yang.
The Prosecution said, Nkebuari claimed ownership of the exhibit vehicle and produced documents which investigations revealed to be faked.
It said investigations at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority DVLA disclosed that the number plate affixed on the vehicle was not genuine. It was established that the said number was a registered license plate for a Toyota Yaris.
The Prosecution said investigations at the Customs Office, 37 branch, disclosed that the importer of the exhibit vehicle was Toyota Ghana Limited and Nkebuari paid GHS 8,500 for the cost of the stolen fuel.
It said, in August, 2022, Nkebuari went to Zhang Yang to seek for employment as a driver and was asked to provide a valid driver’s license and an ID card.
The Prosecution said on October 24, 2022, Nkebuari went back with a fake temporal driver’s license and voter’s ID card bearing the name Charles Mensah for commencement of the job and was put to a test drive on same day to Cal Bank Community 25 branch to transact some business in company with Christopher Doe Kuwornu, a witness in the case.
It said Nkebuari parked the vehicle and sat inside, and upon return from the bank of Kuwornu, the accused had sped off with a black hand bag containing Madam Yang’s non-citizen identity Ghana card and GHS 4,000.
