Court jails surety (NSEMPA, PAGE 5, JAN 31, 2011)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

A 68-YEAR-OLD man, Timothy Kojo Tandoh, who stood surety for his son in a stealing case in August 2010, but failed to produce him in court after 18 adjournments, has been convicted to serve six months in jail term by a Circuit Court in Kumasi on Monday.
Mr Tandoh, on August 23, 2011, applied for and signed an application of recognisance bail under “Section 104 of Act 29/60, assuring that he would produce the son before the Court at every sitting, but he failed to honour the promise.
He also failed to pay the GH¢ 10, 000 surety he signed for, compelling the court to slap him with the six month jail term.
When the court asked him to show cause why the bail bond should not be executed on him, Mr Tandoh stated that he had not been able to secure loans from friends to execute the bail bond.
Chief Inspector Rejoice Sumatu, prosecuting, told the Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo Yartel that the convict stood surety for his son, one Nana Badu, who was arrested for stealing a mobile phone and cash from a passenger.
The prosecutor said the suspect, who was a mechanic at Atasemanso in Kumasi, stole a cash of GH¢ 2,540.00 and a TV mobile phone wrapped in a polythene bag from a passenger in a trotro.
She said the incident occurred on July 17, last year, when the complainant boarded a trotro from Suame roundabout to Abrepo Junction where she alighted.
She said in the course of the journey, Nana Badu who was sitting beside her in the vehicle used a sharp object to cut the bag containing the money and phone and when the complainant alighted from the vehicle, she realised that her money and the mobile phone were missing from the bag.
She said the complainant used another phone to call the number of the missing phone only to be responded by a male voice that refused to identify himself.
The prosecutor stated that the complainant lodged a complaint with the Police at the Central Police Station where investigation started immediately.
She said in the course of the investigations, it was revealed at the Vodafone office that the number of the stolen mobile phone had been used to call a witness in the case, causing police to invite the recipient of the call to assist in their investigations.
According to the prosecutor, the witness in the case revealed that it was Nana Badu who called her with the missing phone and assisted the police to arrest him around 5: 30 am on July 20,2010.
Chief Inspector Sumatu said when the suspect was arrested, he denied stealing the money and the mobile phone in his caution statement, but alleged that he found the phone on the ground at Santasi.
However, after series of police investigations, he was charged with the offence, and it was during his maiden appearance in court that his father stood surety for him, and also made a part payment of GH¢800.00 of the money his son was alleged to have stolen.