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A 19-year-old unemployed man resident at Apatrapa in Kumasi, who stole money belonging to a reverend minister to fete his friends, has been sentenced to 24 months with hard labour. The convict, Cosmos Kwasi Apiedu, was also ordered by the Kumasi Circuit to refund GH�650 out of the GH�1,500 which he used to buy drinks for his friends. Apiedu pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and was convicted on his own plea. He stole the GH�1,500.00 from the letter compartment of the car of Rev. Fr Peter Opoku Ware, the priest in charge of St Peter�s Catholic Church at Apatrapa, who was by then at a parish meeting. The court, presided over by Mr D. W. P. Amedior, sentenced Apiedu and ordered him to refund the GH�650.00 to the complainant. Facts Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Daniel Opoku told the court that on December 30, 2013, Fr. Opoku�Ware put the money in the letter compartment of his car with the intention of paying same to a welder for a metal gate for the church. However, before he could do that, he was called to a meeting. Inspector Opoku said while there, Fr. Opoku�Ware asked one of his errand boys to pick something from the car and opened it with a remote device but forgot to lock it. Cosmos, therefore, sneaked into the car and stole the money. He said after the meeting, Fr. Opoku�Ware went for the money but realised that it was missing. He said through the priest�s own investigation, he arrested Apiedu, who admitted having stolen the money and spending it on drinks with his friends. The police said GH�850.00 was retrieved from the convict at the time of his arrest.