Deferred Sentence: woman jailed for stealing GHS50,000.00 

Accra-Ghana, Feb. 02, GNA – The Accra Circuit Court which deferred the sentence of a 36-year-old woman who admitted stealing GHS50, 000.00 belonging to her employer in Accra has been jailed for one year in hard labour.
The Court presided over by Mr Kwabena Koduah Obiri- Yeboah, on the last sitting found her culpable on her on own plea and ordered for a pregnancy test to be conducted on Joyce Enyonam Dedei before she was handed the sentence.
In addition, she is to pay a fine of 300 penalty units equivalent to GHS3,600.00 or in default, she would serve another one year in prison in hard labour.
In passing sentence, the Court considered the fact that she was a first time offender, showed remorse and did not waste the Court’s time by simply admitting the offence.
However, the Court said the amount involved was substantial and asked her to refund the money to the complainant.
Dedei had pleaded guilty to stealing and was convicted on her own plea.
She was therefore remanded into Police custody to be brought back to Court on February 1, 2023.
Before her conviction, Dedei pleaded with the court for leniency, adding, that she did not commit the crime intentionally.
In pleading for mitigation, she said she had three children aged between 18 and four years who depended on her.
Police Chief Inspector Olivia Ofori-Atta had earlier told the Court that Madam Juliana Koleki Colley, the complainant, was a chop bar operator who employed Dedei, a trader, as an attendant.
She said the complainant lived close to the Births and Deaths Registry at the Ministries Area whereas, Dedei stayed at Ayigbe Town, a suburb of Accra.
Chief Inspector Olivia said about seven years ago, Dedei moved to live with Madam Juliana when she employed her.
The Prosecution said Madam Juliana who had kept the GHS50,000 in her room went shopping at Agblogbloshie market and left Dedei behind.
She said Madam Julian returned from the market only to discover that both her money and Dedei were missing.
All efforts to trace Dedei failed, however, luck eluded Dedei when the complainant spotted her in town, caused her arrest and handed her over to the Ministries’ Police.
Chief Inspector Olivia said Dedei in her cautioned statement admitted stealing only GH¢8,000.