Rebecca Borteley Otsedze, a trader and her three children were on Tuesday granted GH¢100,000, (one billion cedis) bail with a surety each by the Tema Circuit Court 'A' for allegedly stealing GH¢60,000 (600 million cedis) worth of jewellery.

The children are Joyce Aakaa Aquaye, Moses Kpakpo Adotey and Margaret Adokwei Adotey.

The court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two others, Prince Ofosu and Gertrude Aku Adotey also children of Rebecca as well as Abena Cofie a house help of the complainants.

Rebecca, Joyce, Adotey and Margaret pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing.

Chief Inspector Sarah Acquah, prosecuting, told the court that Rebecca and her five children reside at Nungua in Accra.

Chief Inspector Acquah stated that, Mr Alex Asenso and the wife were the complainants in the case and reside at Sakumono with Abena as their house help.
The complainants who deal in the importation of jewels from Hong Kong and China have their shop at Okaishie in Accra in addition to a warehouse in their Sakumono residence.

Chief Inspector Acquah further stated that Joyce, who was adopted by the complainants at the age of six after her father's death, was sacked from the complainants’ residence for stealing an unspecified amount of money from them three months ago.

Mr Asenso later detected the theft of some jewels in boxes and bags from the warehouse shortly after sacking Joyce from the house.

Chief Inspector Acquah said on October 11, this year at about 0800 hours, some witnesses in the case saw and questioned Joyce and her siblings carting some of the bags away from the complainants' house.

She said the witnesses escorted the accused persons to the complainant who also handed them over to the Sakumono Police after they have confessed stealing the items with the help of Abena.

Prosecution added that the accused persons informed police during investigations that they had already stolen a number of the jewels on three occasions within the previous two months.

Chief Inspector Acquah said Rebecca was arrested after her children had informed the police that they gave the stolen jewellery to her.

Rebecca confessed accepting the items and selling them at the Kasoa market, saying that she still has two pieces of earrings, five and a half dozens of necklaces and 11 pieces of other items in her room.

The items were then retrieved from Rebecca's room by the police who subsequently charged her with the offence.


Source: GNA