In a ruling delivered by the Accra High Court, a shop attendant has been handed a three-year prison sentence with hard labor after being found guilty of embezzling cosmetic products valued at GHC174,640 from the store where he was employed.
According to the Ghanaian Times Newspaper of July 19, 2023, the suspect, identified as Samuel Botchway, pleaded guilty before the court presided over by Madam Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.
He admitted to stealing the boxes of cosmetics worth GHC158,640 and four boxes of the same product worth GHC16,000.
The prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Eric Pobee, in presenting the fact brief named Vida Arhin-Duah as the complainant.
She is a trader and a resident of Ablekuma Joma, in Accra, whilst Botchway, the convict, resided at Bortianor, also in Accra.
Chief Insp. Pobee told the court that Botchway worked with the com¬plainant as a shop assistant and warehouse keeper. The complainant is said to have two warehouses, one at Ablekuma Joma and the other at the Makola Mall building.
The prosecutor told the court that the complainant discovered cosmetic product shortages in both the shop and the warehouse.
The prosecution said the accused was seen counting money in a shop within Okaishie Market belonging to a witness, whose name is given as Latifa Rashid.
On realising that the complainant rushed to the convict to find out what he was doing at the shop at Okaishie.
The witness, Latifa told the complainant that Botchway had been her regular customer, who supplied her with cosmetic products.
According to Chief Insp Pobee, Latifa said the convict had supplied her (witness) with four boxes of gel polish and had come to collect the payment worth GH¢12,800.
The prosecution said Latifa also indicated that between December 2022 and April 2023, the convict had supplied her with a number of cosmetic products, which she paid for.
Chief Insp Pobee said when Botchway was arrested, he admitted the offence in his investigation cautioned statement.
The presiding judge sentenced the accused to six months in prison for stealing cosmetic products worth GHC158,640 and six months in prison for stealing cosmetic products worth GHC16,000. Both sentences must run at the same time.