MASON REMANDED FOR STEALING (MIRROR, PAGE 40)

From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

A 50-year-old mason, who posed as a policeman detailed to provide escort for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) buses that ply Sunyani to Accra in the night, has been remanded in prison for impersonation and stealing.
Yeboah Collins of Odumase, the district capital of the newly created Sunyani West District in the Brong Ahafo Region, allegedly stole a parcel sent to Ms Beatrice Konamah, a hairdresser, from the GPRTU office in Sunyani. He will reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, on November 27, 2008.
Presenting the facts at the Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’, Chief Inspector Grace Coffie said on October 10, 2008, Beatrice, a resident of Nkwabeng, a suburb of the Sunyani Municipality and the complainant, went to the GPRTU office in Sunyani to pick up a parcel sent to her by her sister from Accra.
Chief Inspector Coffie said the ticket seller at the station told the complainant that the one who was supposed to give her the parcel containing five pairs of jeans, half piece of cloth, a wig and an amount of GH¢25, had gone out.
The prosecutor said while she was waiting, Collins approached her and offered to help her get the parcel after he had introduced himself as a policeman who had been detailed to escort the buses to Accra in the night to check highway robbery.
Chief Inspector Coffie said Collins then took the registration number and other details of the bus conveying the parcel from Beatrice. He then went for the parcel from the GPRTU office and thereafter bolted.
After waiting for some time, the prosecutor said Beatrice went back to the GPRTU office to check and was told Collins had picked the parcel. All efforts by the complainant to trace Collins proved futile.
Chief Inspector Coffie said on October 15, 2008 Beatrice spotted Collins in town and raised an alarm. He was arrested and sent to the police station.
The prosecutor said at the police station Collins was identified by the ticket seller and the Secretary of the GPRTU as the one who came for the parcel. After further investigations he was charged with the offences and put before court.