‘When I woke up, my GH₵2.5m worth of gold was gone!’ – Businessman accuses errand boy

A businessman has accused his errand boy of stealing his 15 kilograms of gold, worth GH₵2.5m while he was asleep in a hotel.

“After spending the night out in the hotel, the complainant woke up and could not find all 15 kilos of gold in his bag. His errand boy too was nowhere to be found,” according to the prosecution in a trial which began on Tuesday at the Accra Circuit Court.

The errand boy later sold 10 kilos to an Israeli national, Meiri Giora and his driver, these were the words of the businessman as stated by the prosecutor Eric Pobee.

The businessman subsequently became alarmed and contacted his friends who are within national security to assist him arrest his errand boy and the two recipients.

Facts

The facts of the case as presented by Inspector Eric Pobee, were that the complainant in the case is a businessman and lives at Tarkwa Nsuaem.

The first accused person Koenic Ampadu is unemployed, an errand boy for the complainant and also lives at Tarkwa Nsuaem.

The second accused person, Meiri Giora, is an Israeli born based in Belgium and a gold exporter but currently resides in Ghana at Bush Street Labadi.

The third accused person, Jonathan Quarshie is a driver to the Israeli businessman and also a resident at Labadi in Accra.

According to the prosecution, in July 2020, the complainant received 10 kilos of gold brought to Accra from Tarkwa Nsuaem.

The complainant received this gold from his business partner who is also a witness in the case. The agreement was for the precious mineral to be sold.

The complainant also added five kilos and was accompanied by his errand boy and first accused to lodge at Adesa Royal hotel in Accra.

In total, they carried 15 kilos.

But after sleeping the night out in the hotel, the complainant woke up and could not find all 15 kilos of gold in his bag. His errand boy too was nowhere to be found.

He became alarmed and contacted his friends who are within national security to assist him arrest his errand boy, first accused.

On August 14, 2020, more than a month after the incident, the complainant’s business partner, who brought 10 kilos, arrived in Accra to find out the state of the sale.

His partner told him, the gold had been stolen. They both reported the matter to the police.

“Intelligence indicated that on August 17, 2020, [the errand boy] and one Nana Kwame, took 10kg of gold to AA Minerals and sold same to the second accused, [the Israeli businessman] and his driver, [Jonathan, who is third accused],” Inspector Pobee told the court.

He told the court that “personnel from National Security had information about the accused persons presence at AA Minerals and rushed to the scene where they arrested them.”

While trying to effect the arrest, suspect Nana Kwame managed to escape.

The unemployed errand boy to the complainant, Koenic Ampadu, on interrogation admitted having stolen the gold from the complainant.

According to the prosecutor, Ampadu said he asked for the assistance of Nana Kwame and one other to sell it.

Inspector Pobee told the court that “ the second accused person and Israeli businessman, Meiri Giora, admitted having bought the 10kg of gold from one Nana at the cost of 450,000 dollars equivalent to GH₵2, 587, 500.00.

But together with his driver,the third accused person, they have denied the charge of dishonestly receiving the stolen gold.

The driver, Jonathan Quarshie, said he had seen the accused errand boy on two occasions at AA Minerals in the month of July, 2020, but had nothing to do with him.”

Police say effort are being made to apprehend Nana Kwame for investigation.

Accused persons granted bail

The Israeli national and two others have however been granted bail by the Accra Circuit court for their alleged involvement in a gold theft.

The stolen 15 kilos of gold is valued at $735,000, which is equivalent to GH₵2,587,500.00.

The 71-year-old Israeli national based in Belgium, Meiri Giora, together with the third accused person, 34-year-old Jonathan Quarshie, were granted bail in the sum of GH₵3 million with one common sureties.

The two, are in court for dishonestly receiving 10 kilos of the stolen gold bars.

The first accused person, Koenic Ampadu, who is in court for having stolen the gold,  was also granted GH₵2million bail sum with one surety earning not less than GH₵1,500.

All three were granted bail after their lawyer, Raphael Kofi Bonin prayed the court grant the bail request.

“My Lord, we pray this honorable court grants the three accused persons bail. All three have permanent residence and are known to have relatives in the country.

“And again, this is not the case where your hands are tied so we pray if it pleases my Lord, the court admits them to bail,” Mr Bonin said.

All three pleaded not guilty to the various charges of stealing and dishonestly receiving.