36-year-old woman convicted for stealing

An Accra Circuit has deferred the sentence of a 36-year-old woman who admitted to stealing GH¢50,000.00 belonging to her employer.

The Court presided over by Kwabena Koduah Obiri- Yeboah ordered for a pregnancy test to be conducted on Joyce Enyonam Dedei before she was handed a sentence.

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, the convict 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 is 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 GHC50,000.00 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¢ 8,000.00.