A casual labourer at the Ghana Oil Palm Development Company who said he stole palm fruits from the company because he could not make ends meet has been sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour by the Asamankese circuit court.

Ato Kwamena was in addition fined 600,000 cedis or in default serve another 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing 17 bunches of palm fruits. The judge, Mr. S. S. Appiah said 200,000 cedis of the fine, if paid, should be given to the company. In passing sentence Mr. Appiah said Ato's conduct amounted to breach of trust and appealed to all employees to assist in protecting the property of their employers.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector John Boateng told the court that on June 15 this year security men of the company spotted Ato with others now at large harvesting palm fruits at its plantation at Kwae. Ato and his accomplices took to their heels on seeing the security men but Ato was arrested while the others escaped.