A sales boy who stole GH¢353,471 from his employer under the pretext of using the money to get married has been convicted and fined by the Adentan Circuit Court, following the exposure of a wider fraud scheme involving multiple accomplices.
The convict, Alfred Mensah, who worked as a sales assistant for seven years, pleaded guilty to stealing.
The court ordered him to refund the full amount and imposed a fine of GH¢12,000. In default of payment, he will serve two years in prison.
The case, however, extended beyond Mensah, pulling in several other individuals accused of being part of the scheme.
Standing trial alongside him were Mary Asantewaa, a trader, and Emmanuel Okyere, a pastor, who were charged with abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving stolen property.
Others, including Samuel Dika, Miriam Okai, and 59-year-old trader Vida Yeboah, were also charged with dishonestly receiving stolen funds.
Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, who led the prosecution, told the court that the complainant, Gideon Offei Tieku, is a businessman dealing in plumbing materials at Lakeside and Kantamanto. He said Mensah had worked with the complainant for several years before the theft was discovered.
According to the prosecution, the complainant began noticing unexplained financial losses between 2024 and 2025 but could not immediately trace the source. The matter escalated on June 17, 2025, when Mensah was arrested after a business partner reported missing plumbing materials worth GH¢56,000.
During interrogation, Mensah admitted taking the money and claimed he handed it over to Asantewaa and Dika, explaining that he intended to use it for marriage. He further alleged that the two promised to help him find a wife.
Investigations later revealed a more elaborate deception, where Mensah was allegedly convinced to send additional funds after being told that his supposed bride was ill and needed urgent medical care abroad, including treatment in South Africa.
Under this scheme, Mensah transferred a total of GH¢353,471.50 via mobile money to Asantewaa’s account.
Police investigations also established that several beneficiaries received portions of the stolen funds. GH¢46,000 has since been recovered from one of the accused, Vida Yeboah, as authorities continue efforts to retrieve the remaining amount
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