A 25-year-old herdsman has been put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing 51 cows valued at GHS300,000.
Emmanuel Ntim is alleged to have deliberately injected the 51 cows with overdose of Dexamethasone, Ivomec and Penstrep drugs before hammering their heads, leading to their deaths.
Ntim allegedly sold the carcass between GHS800 and GHS1,200, depending on the size of the animal.
Charged with stealing, fraudulent breach of trust and Cruelty to animals, Ntim has pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mrs Adelaide Abui Kedey has admitted to Ntim to bail in the sum of GHC300,000 with three sureties two of who are to be justified with property GHC100,000.
The matter has been adjourned to October 17 for mention.
Police Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim narrated that the complainant Zulkarnaine Abdul Rahman is a businessman, and he owns a cattle ranch at Tunga- Down, near Dansoman, Accra.
Chief Inspector Ayim said Ntim is an employee of the complainant and the accused is senior worker at the Ranch and the other workers take instructions from him.
The prosecution said on a weekly basis, accused either deliberately on his own or instructed some of the junior workers to kill cattle either by injecting it with a drug, by using a hammer to hit their heads or by using a rope to tie their neck.
Chief Inspector said the accused person afterwards will inform the complainant about the death of the animals.
Prosecution said” the complainant who is a Muslim and wants nothing to do with dead animals, would instruct the accused person to remove the animals and disposed them off.”
According to the Prosecutor, the accused person however sold the dead animals between GHC800 and GHC1,200 depending on the size of the animals.
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Afterwards, the accused person would send the pictures of the dead animal to the complainant.
Chief Inspector Ayim said Ntim constantly and repeatedly threatened the other workers that if they dared inform the complainant about the issue, he would send them to a shrine and kill them.
With that threat, Prosecution said, all the workers kept mute after receiving a tip from the accused person.
Prosecution said about a week ago, one of the workers mustered courage and informed the complainant about the accused person’s dealings.
The complainant reported the incident to the Police and Ntim was nabbed.
Prosecution said the accused person in his caution statement admitted the offence.
Prosecution said investigations revealed that Ntim had killed 51 of the animals within a year and the 51 cows were estimated at GHC300,000.
