Two persons who stole a car in Accra and took it to Tarkwa in the Western Region to sell have been arrested. Jeali Alhassan, alias Mallam, 28, and his accomplice, Yunus Hussein, 26, were arrested in Tarkwa while a mechanic in Tarkwa was checking to see if the vehicle, an Opel Astra taxi with registration number GT 1137 V, was in a condition worthy of the GH¢4,500 (¢45 million) price. The Nima Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Angwubutoge Awuni, told newsmen in Accra yesterday that the owner of the car, Mr Saviour Fiador had reported to the police on July 27, 2007 that his taxi had been stolen from its garage at Kokomlemle in Accra. He said based on what the complaint said, the police sent wireless messages to all police stations throughout the country to be on the look out for the said vehicle. Unknown to the suspects that the police were on the look out for the taxi, they took it to Tarkwa for a mechanic to assess its condition to enable Alhassan to pay for it. He said it was in that process that the Tarkwa police swooped on them. Chief Supt Awuni said Alhassan, who resides at Maamobi in Accra, upon interrogation, claimed that he had told Yunus that he wanted to buy a car for use in Tarkwa. He said Yunus allegedly told Alhassan that he knew of a mechanic who repaired and sold cars and would, therefore, inform him to get one for him (Alhassan). He said Alhassan claimed that at about 5.00 a.m. on July 27, 2007, Yunus called him on his phone to inform him that the mechanic had got one of the cars for sale. Chief Supt Awuni said Alhassan then invited Yunus and the mechanic to his house for a discussion on the price of the car. According to him, Alhassan said Yunus and the mechanic demanded ¢45 million, with an initial deposit of ¢30 million. The divisional commander said Alhassan claimed that he then asked Yunus and the mechanic to accompany him to Tarkwa for him to mobilise the money for the car and also for his mechanic in Tarkwa to assess its condition. He said the suspects then removed the registration number of the vehicle and drove it to Tarkwa for the final transaction. He commended the complainant for immediately reporting the loss of the car to the police, saying that if he had delayed, it was possible that the suspects could have tampered with the vehicle and made it difficult for the police to identify it . Chief Supt Awuni advised prospective car buyers to scrutinize the cars and the documents before buying them. Source: Daily Graphic