A 22-year-old shop attendant in Ghana has been fined GH₵1,200 for stealing GH₵39,385 from a Telecommunication shop.
The convict, identified as Paulina Boateng, pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing and was convicted on her own plea by the Accra Circuit Court.
In addition to the fine, Boateng has been ordered to serve a day in prison. If she defaults on the fine, she will serve a 12-month imprisonment.
The Court also directed Boateng to pay the remaining balance of the stolen money to the complainant.
During the court proceedings, a lawyer acting as a friend of the court, Lord Delvin Essandoh, appealed to the Court for leniency. He emphasized that Boateng was a first-time offender and showed remorse by already repaying part of the misappropriated amount. Essandoh urged the Court to consider imposing the minimum possible sentence for the offence.
The prosecution, led by Police Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, confirmed to the Court that Boateng was not previously known for any criminal activities. The case emerged when an internal auditor discovered the misappropriated funds of GH₵39,385 in the shop managed by Boateng.
Boateng, who was in charge of the shop’s operations, admitted to the theft when confronted and promised to refund the money from her salary. However, following a complaint by the shop supervisor, Daniel Nana Amaning, Boateng and a colleague were arrested for questioning.
During the investigation, Boateng confessed in her caution statement to taking GH₵15,000 and GH₵20,000, which were recorded as bad debt.
She refunded GH₵9,000 as part of the repayment for the embezzled funds.
