NPP activist convicted of defrauding businessman

A Tamale Circuit Court has sentenced an activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to a fine of 250 penalty units, equivalent of GH¢30,000 or in default serve four years in prison for defrauding his employer of an amount of GH¢98,587.

The convict, Mr Alhassan Hafiz Sibdoo, told the court that he used the money to finance the 2016 election campaign of the NPP in the Northern Region.

Mr Sibdoo was sentenced by the court presided over by Mr Justice William Joseph Twumasi Appiah based on his own plea to the charge of defrauding.

The court also ordered Mr Sibdoo, who was a salesperson of As-Sahabah Company Limited in Tamale, to also refund the said amount to his employer.

Hearing

The court, at the first hearing of the case, directed the police to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of Mr Sibdoo's claim that the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Sa-eed, assured him of recouping the money he invested in the NPP's 2016 election campaign that brought the party to power.

The convict, during the court proceedings, admitted in the open court that he used the company's money to finance the governing NPP during the 2016 general election campaign in anticipation of being reimbursed when the party won the 2016 election.

He told the court that he was expecting the money from the Northern Regional Minister, Mr  Salifu Sa-eed whom he claimed he spent the money with but the Minister is yet to assist him to refund the money to his employer.

The presiding Judge who had received the Regional Minister’s response to the claim made by the convict declined to make the minister's response public.

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Confession

The convict further told the court that he used the money to assist the NPP regional communications team through the buying of mobile phones.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of As-Sahabah Limited, Mr Prince Osman Sahibi told the court that he uncovered the rot on the eve of this year’s Eid al-Fitr festival on June 25,  and upon questioning, the convict  confessed using the money to finance the campaign of the NPP in the region.

Mr Sahibi said the convict told him that he used a chunk of the money to support the communications team and organising Quranic recitations.