The assembly member for Kedzikope in the Keta municipality, Joseph Quashigah, has been dragged before the Keta Circuit Court for allegedly diverting and selling 110 student mattresses meant for distribution to victims of the recent tidal waves that hit Keta and its environs.
The items are valued at GH¢26,980.
Quashigah, who is also a teacher, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing when he appeared before the court.
He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties by the court, presided over by Ms Mercy Adei Kotei, following a bail application by his lawyer.
Disaster
Presenting the facts, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Ransford Kwate, said the tidal wave disaster ravaged the Ketu South, Keta and Anlo municipalities, with Kedzikope being one of the badly affected communities.
He said the disaster rendered many people in the community homeless, a situation that led to many benevolent people and institutions supporting the community.
Support
According to him, one of such support was from Ms Amelia Amemate, who donated 229 mattresses and 13 boxes of pillows.
The prosecutor added that Ms Amemate was not well for some time so she could not go to Kedzikope for the distribution exercise, and, therefore, kept the items with Quashigah and told him not to distribute them until she was available.
Chief Inspector Kwate said while Ms Amemate was on her sick bed, she received reports that Quashigah was selling the mattresses.
He said when Ms Amemate got well and went to the community, she realised that 110 of the mattresses and some of the pillows were missing.
Upon interrogation, Quashigah said he had distributed them.
The prosecutor said after efforts to trace the beneficiaries of the 110 mattresses yielded no results, Ms Amemate reported the case to the police.