Shop Assistant To Serve Three Years For Stealing

An Accra Circuit Court, on Monday, sentenced Samuel Kwadwo Bekoe, a Shop Assistant, to three years imprisonment in hard labour for sealing.

Bekoe pleaded not guilty to stealing GHc 180,000.00, belonging to one Mama Tanaz, but he was found guilty by the Court, presided over by Mrs Jane Akweley Quaye after trial.

He is also to refund the money to the complainant.

Earlier prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu told the Court that the complainant was a Businesswoman who dealt in wax prints and lived at Abelemkpe.

The convict, however, was her shop assistant, who lived at Akweteman.

He said in September 2015, the complainant’s customer from Benin, Mama Tanaz, deposited GHc 380,000.00, with the complainant’s company, for supply of 29 bales of ATL wax prints.

The complainant entrusted the money into the hands of Bekoe to supply the items.

The Prosecution said instead of supplying 29 bales to Mama Tanaz, Bekoe supplied only 18 bales of the wax prints, valued at Ghc 200,000.00 and used the remaining amount of GHc 180,000.00, being cost of 11 bales, to engage in gold business.

Police Chief Inspector Adu said the complainant made efforts for the convict to refund the money but all failed.
He said on March 17, 2016, Samuel, unceremoniously left his residence to an unknown destination.

On the same day, a complaint was made at the Accra Regional CID, and through Police intelligence, the convict was arrested on 31, July, 2016 for questioning.

The Prosecution said, in his caution statement, Bekoe admitted collecting the money personally from Mama Tanaz to supply the ATL wax prints.

He claimed the GHc 180,000.00 mysteriously got vanished from his car after he had changed it into US Dollars.