Kumasi, May 15, GNA - Akosua Kwartemaa, a trader, has been convicted to a five-year imprisonment in hard labour by a Kumasi circuit Court for misappropriating 96 million cedis belonging to her sister's shop. She pleaded not guilty.

Kwartemaa was also ordered to refund 79.4 million cedis or serve additional seven years after the sentence. Police Chief Inspector Francis Kusi told the court that Kwartemaa was the sister to the complainant, Ama Afrah, who owns a biscuit shop at Adum in Kumasi and entrusted the shop to her sister and her daughter to enable her travel in October 2005.

Afrah, who normally had her supplies from her foreign partner, instructed Kwartemaa to collect sums of money from her creditors and deposit the amount in the accounts of the partner at Cal Merchant Bank. Chief Inspector Kusi said the accused after collecting the money in addition to 11 million cedis given to her to settle some debts, failed to deposit the amount in the bank. He said the foreign partner informed the complainant on her return, that Kwartemaa failed to pay the money totaling 96 million cedis into the accounts at the bank. 15 May 07