Andrew Amoah Ampaw, aged 33, has been remanded into police custody by the Achimota Circuit Court on charges of allegedly stealing a Toyota Corolla valued at GH¢100,000 from a car rental agency in Accra.
According to reports, Ampaw rented the vehicle for a five-day period before allegedly transferring it to someone he owed money to.
Facing charges of theft, Ampaw pleaded not guilty before Judge Isaac Addo.
The accused is scheduled to appear in court again on March 21.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Ahiale, disclosed that both the complainant, Aaron Kofi Mensah, and the accused are businesspersons based in Accra.
ASP Ahiale informed the court that on February 29 of this year, the complainant filed a report at the Legon Police Station, stating that on January 29, 2024, he received a request from a friend and car rental business owner (a witness in the case) to rent a Toyota vehicle to Ampaw for five days.
Subsequently, the complainant handed over his Toyota Corolla, registered under CR 106-21, to Ampaw after the latter paid the five-day rental fee.
However, upon the expiration of the rental period, Ampaw allegedly failed to return the vehicle to the complainant or extend the rental agreement.
The prosecution further alleged that Ampaw disabled the vehicle’s tracking device, making it challenging for the complainant to retrieve the car.
Subsequently, it was discovered that Ampaw had been arrested by the Legon District CID for a similar offense.
During the investigation, Ampaw admitted to renting the vehicle and giving it to someone he owed money to, intending to return it by the end of February 2024, once he had settled his debt with the individual.
However, Ampaw claimed he couldn’t provide the police with the person’s whereabouts as he was unaware of their address.