The Dansoman Circuit Court has granted GH¢500,000 bail to a businessman, Desmond Theke, who is standing trial for allegedly stealing GH¢490,600 from his employer, Nigerian entrepreneur Solomon Okechukwu.
The bail is to be supported by two sureties, with one surety required to justify the amount with title deeds equivalent to the bail sum.
The court further ordered Theke to deposit his Ghana Card at the registry and report to the police every two weeks as part of the bail conditions.
Theke, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of misappropriating both funds and goods while managing a clothing business on behalf of Mr. Okechukwu in Accra.
Chief Inspector Emeila Mensah, prosecuting, informed the court that all disclosures and witness statements will be filed by August 25, 2025, to pave the way for the commencement of Case Management Conference (CMC) proceedings.
Presiding over the case, the court stressed that due to the felony nature of the charge, the matter cannot be referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
However, it noted that the parties are free to pursue an out-of-court settlement if both sides are willing.
Background
According to court documents, the complainant, Mr. Okechukwu, operates a second-hand clothing business across Accra, Togo, and other African countries.
In 2024, he employed Theke to manage his Accra operations. During that period, he reportedly shipped 240 40-foot containers of used clothes to Ghana and also transferred funds to Theke for procurement purposes.
However, upon visiting Ghana on June 11, 2025, for stock-taking, Okechukwu discovered significant discrepancies in both goods and finances. Theke allegedly failed to account for the inventory and funds, leading the complainant to lodge a formal complaint with the Dansoman Police.
Both parties were subsequently advised to undertake a joint audit with neutral witnesses. The resulting audit revealed a total misappropriation of GH¢490,600, a figure confirmed in a signed document by the complainant, the accused and their respective witnesses.
The accused was arrested on the same day the complaint was made and later charged under Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which relates to the offence of stealing.
The case is being investigated by Detective Chief Inspector Godwin Kenny Quarcoo.
