An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 26-year-old cleaner for stealing $5,000 from a lawyer’s office drawer to purchase personal belongings.

Linda Teiko Teye, charged with unlawful entry and theft, pleaded guilty.

The Court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo convicted and sentenced Linda to 36 months on each charge.

Sentences will however, run concurrently.

Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer told the Court that the complainant (name withheld) was a lawyer and a resident of Haatso in Accra.

Prosecution said Linda was unemployed and she resided at Teshie Mangoase in Accra.

Chief Inspector Lawer said the complainant had his office at Tse-Add,o where Linda was working as a cleaner in one of the apartments in the same building.

Prosecution told the Court that on April 2, 2025, the complainant placed $7,500 cash in his office drawer, locked the drawer, but forgot to remove the key and went home.

According to the Prosecutor, on April 19, 2025, the complainant returned to his office and detected that his $5,000 had been stolen.

Prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the “Rasta” Police Station on the same day.

During investigations, the Prosecutor said the Police gathered intelligence that the accused person was seen spending United States of America dollars.

On April 21, 2025, the Police extended their investigations to Linda’s residence where she was nabbed by the Police.

Prosecution said a search conducted in her room revealed many new items.

The items are a bed, a mattress, a two-in-one sofa, a bed sheet, three dresses, a standing fan, a rice cooker, a blender, a duvet, an iPhone 6x, a cylinder with gas, six ladies’ bags, pairs of footwear and a kettle.

According to the prosecution, Linda purchased the items within the same period that the complainant’s money was stolen.

During interrogation, the Prosecution said Linda confessed to the Police that she monitored the complainant’s activities and detected that he had been hiding his office keys on his office window and took advantage of that; took the keys, opened the complainant’s office, opened the drawer, and stole the $5,000.

Prosecution told the Court that Linda further stated that she used the money she stole from the complainant’s office to purchase the items mentioned above.

Chief Inspector Lawer said Linda refunded $500 as part of the complainant’s money she stole.