A 19-year-old unemployed man resident at Apatrapa in Kumasi, who stole money belonging to a reverend minister to fete his friends, has been sentenced to 24 months with hard labour.

The convict, Cosmos Kwasi Apiedu, was also ordered by the Kumasi Circuit to refund GH¢650 out of the GH¢1,500 which he used to buy drinks for his friends.

Apiedu pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and was convicted on his own plea.

He stole the GH¢1,500.00 from the letter compartment of the car of Rev. Fr Peter Opoku Ware, the priest in charge of St Peter’s Catholic Church at Apatrapa, who was by then at a parish meeting.

The court, presided over by Mr D. W. P. Amedior, sentenced Apiedu  and ordered him to refund the GH¢650.00 to the complainant.

Facts

Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Daniel Opoku told the court that on December 30, 2013,  Fr. Opoku–Ware put the money in the letter compartment of his car with the intention of paying same to a welder for a metal gate for the church.

However, before he could do that, he was called to a meeting.

Inspector Opoku said while there, Fr. Opoku–Ware asked one of his errand boys to pick something from the car and opened it with a remote device but forgot to lock it.

Cosmos, therefore, sneaked into the car and stole the money.

He said after the meeting, Fr. Opoku–Ware went for the money but realised that it was missing.

He said through the priest’s own investigation, he arrested Apiedu, who admitted having stolen the money and spending it on drinks with his friends.

The police said GH¢850.00 was retrieved from the convict at the time of his arrest.