Four mechanics have been arrested by the police for dismantling a stolen vehicle in a mechanic shop at Sakumono Beach Road in Accra.
The suspects are Yaw Badu, 32; Musah Mohammed, 24; Dermon Puplampu, 41 and Ayuba Sagoe, 32.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, (DSP) Effia Tenge, said the complainant who is a taxi driver reported to the police that he was hired by a passenger from Tema Community One to Nungua Barrier On September 13, 2020.
He said on reaching the train station area on the main Sakumono-Tema Beach Road, the passenger asked him to park for him to urinate.
“After urinating, the passenger pulled a gun on the driver and ordered him to get out of the car and for fear of being shot, the driver got out and ran into a nearby bush, leaving the vehicle.”
She said the passenger then took the vehicle away.
DSP Tenge said that police later learnt that the vehicle was being dismantled as scrap at a mechanic shop at Sakumono Railway area and proceeded to the location.
“On arrival, the police found the frame of the taxi on stones without its registration number plates, tyres, doors, bonnet, engine, fenders and the two headlights.
When the frame of the vehicle was searched, the insurance and road worthy stickers bearing the car’s registration number and the driving licence of the complainant’s car owner were found.
“Investigation led to the arrest of suspects Dermon Puplampu, and Ayuba Sagoe, both of whom are mechanics, Yaw Badu and Musa Mohammed who are also tricycle operators.”
“Preliminary investigations revealed that suspect Yaw Badu and Musah Mohammed were engaged by two men (also suspects in the case but at large to remove the engine which was sold to a scrap dealer,” she said.
She said the doors, tyres, fenders, headlights and bonnet of the vehicle were also sold to interested buyers by the suspects.
DSP Tenge said the four suspects have provisionally been charged for abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving and have since been remanded into police custody.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
lindatenyah@gmail.com