Lillian Kuma, widow of Mr. Kuma
An Accra Second Circuit Court on Friday refused bail to two men accused of stealing money, electrical equipment and other items from the widow of John Kuma.
The trader, Adams Sanogo and fugitive, Kwame Dunga, are accused of conspiring to steal $50,000, 50,000 cedis and an iPhone 15 Pro Max worth 15,000 cedis from Mr Kuma’s widow, former Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, Pastor Lilian Kuma.
The culprits are also believed to have stolen an Apple iPad worth 15,000 cedis, a Samsung Z Fold mobile phone worth 12,000 cedis, a Microsoft laptop worth 7,000 cedis, a black school bag worth 400 cedis and an Apple Watch of unknown value.
Rabiu Falil, a high school graduate, is also accused of fraudulently receiving stolen property.
The suspects, who were arrested in the Ashanti Region and handed over to the police in Accra, have denied the charges and are being held in police custody to assist in the investigation and arrest of their alleged accomplice, Kwame Dunga, who is at large.
The court presided over by Chief Justice Isaac Addo denied bail sought by the defence counsel, Mr Benjamin Ofori, on the grounds that the case was sensitive and not in the interest of society.
It is scheduled to be resurrected on August 7, 2024.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Raymond Akom, said the plaintiff, Pastor Lilian Kuma, is the widow of Mr Kuma who resides at Mile 7, Achimota, Accra.
Sanogo works as a mobile phone salesman in Adum PZ, a suburb of Kumasi, and lives in Kokoso, while Fariru lives in Djamasi, Ashanti Region.
He said that on December 29, 2023, unknown persons broke into Pastor Kuma’s residence and stole Pastor Kuma’s personal belongings including an iPhone 15 Pro Max worth 15,000 cedis, a Samsung Z Fold mobile phone worth 12,000 cedis, an Apple iPad worth 15,000 cedis, a Microsoft laptop worth 7,000 cedis, a black school bag worth 400 cedis, an Apple Watch whose value is yet to be determined, 50,000 cedis in cash and $50,000.
The prosecution said she had filed a formal complaint with the police and submitted closed circuit television (CCTV) video footage of the incident. The court was told that police investigations led to the arrest of Fariru in Jamasi, Ashanti Region on 24 July 2024, in possession of the complainant’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The prosecution said that after his arrest, he directed police to Adum PZ in Kumasi where Sanogo was also arrested. During interrogation, Sanogo admitted to selling the mobile phone to Fariru.
He further named Dunga, another mobile phone dealer from Adum PZ who is currently at large, as his accomplice, the court heard.
Prosecutors said Sanogo and Farihl had been warned, charged and summoned to court, while efforts were underway to arrest Dunga.
In his petition for bail, Ofori said Sanogo and Fariru have permanent addresses, are not flight risk and have influential people willing to act as sureties for them. They have also cooperated with police investigations and intend to continue to do so.
He said Sanogo was the middleman who bought the phone from Kwame and that Fariru, a recent SHS graduate, simply led police to Sanogo from whom he obtained the phone.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, saying the release of the defendants would hinder investigation and they would not appear for trial as they have been absconding since 2023. Police deployed operatives to the Ashanti Region and arrested the defendants just two days ago.
