Juaso (Ash), March 07, GNA - The Juaso circuit court has sentenced a teacher to two years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing 2.116 million cedis being the premium of 30 people for the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Gyadam, near Obogu in the Asante Akim South District.

Ransford Mensah Okyere pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector K.I Mahama told the court that in August 2005 the unit committee and the elders of the community delegated the accused to collect the contributions from the people towards the scheme. The convict collected contributions of 30 people amounting to 2.116 million cedis but failed to submit the amount to the district office of the scheme.

Chief Inspector Mahama said three months after the scheme took-off without the contributors receiving their identification cards, the community summoned Okyere to account for the amount he had collected but he failed to do so. 07 March 06