By Richard Attenkah
But for the vigilance of security personnel of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) inside the Tema main market, properties worth several thousands of Ghana cedis could have been burnt to ashes.
This was when some unidentified persons prepared the ground in a bookshop, Victory Bookshop Enterprise, located inside the market near the Total Filling Station, to set the place on fire.
In an interview with the Tema File, Chief Supt Victor Amedeker, Commander in charge of the Tema Community One District Police headquarters, said around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, security personnel around the bookshop saw smoke emerging from the place.
They called personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to the scene, while they tried to break the lock to fight the fire.
When the firefighters arrived at the scene, with the help of the TMA security men and others, they were able to put off the fire, Chief Supt Amedeker explained.
When they finally broke into the shop, they found a water heater plugged into a wall socket and placed on a folded chair among some papers and stationery, which were on fire.
Chief Supt Amedeker explained further that they also found a gallon of petrol inside the shop near the folded chair, adding that the firemen had retrieved the items as exhibits.
The owners of the bookshop, Florence Adomako-Ansah and Aaron Adomako, were picked up by the police for questioning, after which they were arraigned before the Tema Circuit Court “B” for trial.
The bookshop was under lock because the two owners owed one Jonathan Aryee, who is their supplier, a sum of GH¢10,000. The two have been able to pay GH¢8,000 out of the figure, leaving an outstanding GH¢2,000.
Since they were unable to make do their promise to complete the payment, Jonathan sought a court order about a month ago to lock up the shop to compel them look for money to settle their indebtedness.
Meanwhile, the court, presided over by His Lordship Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, has remanded the two suspects in prison custody to reappear on Thursday, 19 July, 2013.