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Kwaku Essien, a chainsaw operator, was on Thursday arraigned before the Asamankese Circuit Court charged with stealing two sheep valued at GHC 125. Essien, who is facing three counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing and causing harm, pleaded not guilty and is on GHC 200 bail to re-appear on December 09. Police Inspector Francis Asare-Cobbina told the court that on June 07, a patrol team at Nkwantanang sighted Essien and three others now at large on board a taxi and suspected them to be thieves. He said the patrol team advanced towards the suspects but before they could reach them, Essien and those now at large opened the booth of the vehicle and released a number of sheep and goats. The team caught one sheep but the occupants of the vehicle escaped leaving the taxi behind. The prosecutor said the patrol team laid ambush and at about 0430 hours the accused requested a mechanic at Kade to assist in bringing the vehicle to Kade. He said Essien told the mechanic that he and his friends were driving from New Abirem towards Kade and on reaching Nkwantanang, their vehicle developed a mechanical fault and that he needed to assist him to get the vehicle to Kade. On their way to Nkwantang, Essien told the mechanic that when their vehicle developed a fault at Nkwantanang, he saw people advancing towards them with guns and they suspected them to be thieves. The prosecutor said on reaching the spot where the cab was abandoned the accused was identified by the watch committee members and arrested and handed over to the police.