Asamankese, March 13, GNA - A woman convict, described by the police as a habitual thief was on Friday given a further 24-month prison term by the Asamankese Circuit Court for stealing. Afua Ataa, who was already serving an 18-month jail term for stealing pleaded guilty. The court, however, ordered that her second conviction should take effect from June 6, 2005, the date of her earlier conviction.

Police Chief Inspector S A Ntow told the court, presided over by Mr Kofi Akrowiah that Ataa, with an accomplice she mentioned only as Joe, now at large, on December 20 2004, broken into two stores at the Akroso Market and stole a quantity of Pyrex bowls, plastic utensils and a quantity of palm kernel oil, all valued at 43 million cedis. He said at about 0200 hours the next dawn, Ataa boarded an Accra-bound vehicle but alighted at Agona Bobikuma with the stolen items where she was arrested. The prosecution said Atta was already serving an 18-month imprisonment for unlawfully entering and stealing a quantity of tinned tomatoes and cooking spices from a shop. According to him, the court gave her an option of a two-million-cedi fine, but when she was unable to pay.