<<Print>>

A 35-year-old cleaner of the Wa Polytechnic was on Friday, sentenced to 63 years imprisonment by a Wa Circuit Court for defrauding 26 women�s groups in the Wa Municipality and Wa East District of a total of GH�39,884.50 through a micro finance scheme (susu). Braimah Kasim, who initially pleaded not guilty to all the 26 counts, had to change his mind in the course of the trial and pleaded guilty to nine of the offences. The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Bright Akwantey, convicted him on his own plea and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each of the nine counts to run consecutively. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Stephen Frimpong said the women�s groups were members of a non-governmental organization (NGO) known as the Youth Advocacy on Reproductive Rights and Opportunities (YARO) based in Wa, who were asked to contribute monies to establish a �Susu� Scheme (local micro-finance scheme). According to prosecution each of the women�s groups was asked to nominate a volunteer who would act as a leader on its behalf as part of the scheme, consequently Braimah Kasim, who is also a volunteer of YARO was nominated by the groups as its leader. Chief Inspector Frimpong said between 2012 and February 2013, Kasim visited 22 women�s groups and collected a cash sum of GH�23,608.00 under the pretext of sending it to the bank, but he failed to do so. Within the same period, the accused again collected GH�8,243.00 from Sumbaaree, Katoore and Nantooree women�s groups under the pretext of depositing same in their accounts but failed to do so. He said in addition to collecting the money from the three groups, Kasim picked up a metal box belonging to another group containing a cash sum of GH�8,218.50, also under the pretext of depositing same at the bank on their behalf. Chief Inspector Frimpong pointed out that the accused failed to deposit the total sum of GH�39,884.50, into the accounts of the groups. He said the women could not trace the whereabout of Kasim until he was arrested by the women on February 26, this year. After his arrest, the women brought him to the police station and in his caution statement he admitted collecting moneys from the women�s groups but denied the quantum. The police upon their investigations charged him and brought him to court. Sentencing him, Justice Akwantey said the explanation given by the accused was consistent with his plea of guilty. He said the court took into account the nature of the offence and the persons involved before coming out with the punishment. �In sentencing the accused I have taken into account the nature of the offence, conduct of the accused in court; his demeanor and modus operandi in committing the offence. I have also taken into account the status in life of the accused and his plea for mercy, I am also aware of the plight of the deprived women whose resources the accused has plundered through his wit and misrepresentation in the circumstances,� he explained.