Country Director of a coalition jailed for defrauding women

Hohoe, May 27 GNA - Kyereh Botchway, 45, Country Director of the Coalition for Advocate for Women Empowerment (CAWE), has been sentenced b y a Hohoe Circuit Court to a four year jail term for defrauding a group of ru ral women by false pretences. Botchway, who operates a micro-credit facility, have had his plea of

not guilty nullified, and was jailed to a four-year term in hard labour w ith the sentences running concurrently . Mr Edward Apenkwah, the Presiding Judge, pronouncing judgment noted that Botchway was a first time offender and this should have normally gon e to his favour as a mitigating factor.

He, however, said this was weighed against the quantum of monies he succeeded in siphoning from the many unsuspecting rural women, thinking t hey were dealing with a genuine Non-Governmental Organisation. Mr Apenkwah said the women needed justice for losing much money, whi ch were never retrieved and to meet the end of justice Botchway was convicte d. Police Chief Inspector, Samuel Gbedemah, told the court that complainants were women groups in Hohoe and Fodome seeking micro-credit assistance from CAWE after running series of workshops in 2003. He said the women groups became convinced by the false claims and parted with various sums of monies ostensibly for registration fee, issua nce of Identity Cards, loan terms and application forms.

Chief Inspector Gbedemah said a total of GH¢4,626 accrued from the

registration of 1,050 women at different times, which were lodged into a Ghana Commercial Bank, Ho branch account. He said Botchway vanished into thin air upon receiving the said amou nts and a search was mounted for his arrest. Mr Gbedemah said Botchway was brought in after being held for a simi lar incident in an Accra court. Botchway agreed receiving the monies and indicated CAWE had since 20 04 distributed a total of GH¢1,150 in six districts. 27 May 10