A Sekondi Magistrate Court B, presided over by Her Worship Dromo Afarley Djarbeng, has sentenced 23-year-old Richard Manful to 12 months in prison with hard labour for stealing $1,300 from his employer.

Manful, who pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime—specifically, stealing—was found guilty after a full trial.

Case Details

According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Augustina Owusua, the complainant, Prince Bassaw, a lotto agent residing in Essipong, had employed Manful several years ago to assist in his daily business operations.

On July 19, 2024, Bassaw discovered that his brown wallet containing $1,300 was missing from his wardrobe. When he went to check at the shop where Manful was assigned, he found that the suspect was nowhere to be seen.

Growing suspicious, Bassaw gathered a group of young men to locate and apprehend Manful at his hideout in Sekondi. They handed him over to the police and lodged a formal complaint.

During the police investigation, Manful admitted to the crime, claiming he had given the stolen money to an individual named Francis, who had allegedly promised to help him travel overseas. However, he was unable to provide any concrete information about his supposed accomplice.

After reviewing the evidence, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to 12 months in prison with hard labor.