A former Assistant Manager at the Chicken Inn and Pizza Inn branch at Accra Mall, Collins Acquah, has been sentenced to 5 years of hard labor by the Achimota Circuit Court for stealing GHC19,904 from his employers.
The prosecution informed the Court, presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjapong, that Acquah accessed the vault room where proceeds from December 25 and 26, 2023, were kept. Around 4:23 am on December 27, 2023, he allegedly stole GHC19,904. The theft was captured on CCTV footage, which was reviewed later that day, confirming the crime.
After the incident, Collins Acquah fled to Cape Coast and went into hiding. Efforts by the management of Chicken Inn and Pizza Inn to contact him proved futile, leading them to report the case to the Airport Police Station. He was eventually arrested and brought before the court.
When the case was called on Monday, June 10, 2024, Acquah, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded not guilty to the offense. He was charged with stealing under Sections 123(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).
During the hearing, a family member testified that Collins had spent a substantial part of his monthly salary on betting activities and, when presented with the opportunity to steal, succumbed to the temptation.
On Thursday, June 20, 2024, Acquah informed the court that after a week in police remand, he wished to change his plea to guilty. When asked about the whereabouts of the stolen cash, he could not provide a meaningful answer.
The Presiding Judge, Akosua Anokyewaa Adjapong, found Collins guilty on his own plea and sentenced him to 5 years of imprisonment with hard labor. In delivering her judgment, Mrs. Adjapong considered Acquah’s age, his status as a first-time offender, and his voluntary admission of guilt.
He is also required to pay a 100 penalty unit fine, amounting to GHC1,200, to his former employer and refund the full amount of GHC19,904 stolen. If he fails to pay the 100 penalty unit fine, he will serve an additional two years in prison.
His former employer, Chicken Inn and Pizza Inn, is considering civil action to retrieve all the stolen money.
