Witness identifies sales person in Close Up trial

Monday, March 23, 2009 (Page 47)


Story: Mabel Aku Baneseh
A witness in the trial involving two Chinese nationals accused of possessing fake Close Up toothpaste has identified one of the accused persons as the one who sold the product to him.
Cherubin Awabe, whose company had been tasked by Unilever Ghana Limited to track the sources of the company's counterfeited products told the court that during his investigations one of the accused persons, Chen Chuping, a saleswoman, sold the fake products to him when he went to purchase them at a shop at Rawlings Park in Accra.
According to him, many hawkers and head porters trooped to the shop to purchase the fake products which were alleged to be poisonous.
Chen and Tang Wei, Directors of W.B. Impex Ltd, are accused of being the source of supply of the fake Close Up toothpaste.
The accused have pleaded not guilty for the possession and sale of goods marked with counterfeited trade marks.
They have each been granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 with a surety each.
At the court’s hearing in Accra on Thursday, Mr Awabe, the company’s Director of Industry and Marketing Support System, said he was tasked by Unilever to conduct research into counterfeit toothpaste on the market.
In the course of the research, he said he held a number of interviews with hawkers and head porters who sold the counterfeited toothpaste, and as a result he was led to the shop where those products were purchased.
Led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr P. K. Frimpong, to give his evidence-in-chief, Mr Awabe said upon reaching the shop, his team of researchers bought six pieces of the toothpaste and a test conducted on them proved that they were fake.
According to him, he visited the point of sale of the products and requested to purchase 20 cartons of the toothpaste which had then been displayed on shelves.
He said Chen informed him that only three cartons were left and that the remaining 17 would be added to the three later.
Mr Awabe told the court that he deposited GH¢200 out of the total of GH¢360 he was expected to pay for the 20 cartons.
He tendered the receipt for the GH¢200 in evidence as exhibit.
According to the witness, the interest of the company was to get to the source of the counterfeited toothpaste, and as a result, the warehouse containing the counterfeit toothpaste,which was located at Mallam in Accra.
After locating the warehouse, the witness later led the police to the warehouse where large quantities of the counterfeited toothpaste were found.
He said a woman at the warehouse informed the police that the items belonged to her husband who later turned out to be Tang.
During cross examination from counsel for the accused persons, Mr Peter Zwennes, the witness told the court that he could not give the identity of the head porters who led him to the shop of Tang.
He also informed the court that the import of the research was to get to the wholesaler of the counterfeit toothpaste.
He also told the court that he did not take a receipt for the initial six pieces of counterfeit toothpaste he bought from Chen.
Hearing continues today.