Cocoa purchasing clerk jailed five years

A Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced Osei Otoo, a cocoa purchasing clerk, to five years imprisonment for dishonestly appropriating a sum of GH¢18,232.00.

Otoo was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court, presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo, that the complainant, Paul Boah is the district manager of Trans Royal Ghana Limited, a cocoa purchasing company in Tarkwa and the convict is a farmer who resides at Dwira Tumantu near Nzema Enyinase.

According to the prosecutor, on October 21, last year, Osei Otoo went and collected cash sum of GH¢75,472.00 to purchase 356 bags of cocoa for the company.

He said the offender later went and accounted for only 270 leaving GH¢18,232.00 that could purchase 86 bags of cocoa to be accounted for.

Detective Amponsah said Osei, for months ceased reporting to the company’s office and the complainant reported the incident to the police which led to his arrest.

The prosecutor said the convict, in his cautioned statement, admitted the offense and explained that he used part of the money to supply fertilizer to some farmers and loaned the remaining amount to another group of farmers.

Source: GNA