Woman fined 500,000 cedis or three months for stealing plantain

Asamankese, July 13, GNA - A 24-year-old unemployed woman, Yaa Gifty, who said as a result of hunger she stole three bunches of plantain valued at 100,000 cedis and sold them for 45,000 cedis, has been fined 500,000 cedis by the Asamankese Circuit Court. In default Gifty, who pleaded guilty, will serve three months in hard labour.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Joseph Idan told the court presided over by Mr Kofi Akrowiah that both the complainant Edith Oforiwaa and Gifty lived at Pabi near Asamankese. On July 04 Oforiwaa visited her farm and detected that someone had harvested three bunches of plantain and conducted investigations. A witness informed her that she had seen Gifty on the farm on the day in question. Armed with that information, Oforiwaa confronted Gifty, who denied being on her farm. Not satisfied with her denial, Oforiwaa visited the Anum Apapam market where she found her plantain being offered for sale by a woman called Akos. Oforiwaa identified the plantain by identification marks on them.

When Akos was asked how she came by the plantain, she mentioned Gifty as having sold them to her for 45,000 cedis. Gifty was therefore summoned before the unit Committee at Pabi where she confessed stealing the plantain.