A Kumasi Circuit Court has remanded a cocoa purchasing clerk into prison custody for allegedly stealing an amount of GHc 28,532.00, belonging to his employers.

Kwame Darkwa 34, Manso-Tontokrom Society agent of Agro-Ecom Company, a licensed cocoa buying company in Kumasi, is said to have embezzled the amount meant for the purchase of 78 bags of cocoa beans from farmers in the area.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted on his own plea to reappear for sentencing before the court presided over by Mrs. Patricia Amponsah, on July 4, this year.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, told the court that the complainant was the Kumasi District Manager of Agro-Ecom Company based at Ayeduase in the Oforikrom Municipality while the accused was an agent of the company at the Manso-Tontokrom in the Amansie South District.

He said between October 2018 and January 2019, the complainant entrusted an amount of GHc 197,925.00 into the hands of the accused to purchase a total of 435 bags of cocoa beans for the company.

The prosecution said after supplying 357 bags of the beans to the company, the accused went into hiding and several attempts by the complainant to trace him proved futile.

Chief Inspector Amoako said on May 28 this year, the complainant had information that the accused had been arrested by the Kumasi Central Police in another criminal case.

The complainant went there and identified the accused as the one who had absconded with the company’s money.

He made a report to the police who re-arrested him and in his cautioned statement admitted the offence.

Chief Inspector Amoako said the accused was charged and arraigned.