Lesley Frances Huosem, who was working as an accountant in 2002, stole 986 TL from her employer and then fled the country. She was arrested upon her return to North Cyprus this year.
The panel of judges at Kyrenia High Criminal Court stated that the crime of theft carried a maximum prison sentence of seven years. The head judge noted that the fact that Ms. Huosem had fled the country had exacerbated her crime.
Additionally, the cash value of her theft in 2002 was worth 28,400 TL in today’s money.
Head Judge Ozankaya stated that the defendant had returned 916 TL of the money, but that the employer was not compensated because the loss corresponds to 28,000 thousand TL today, and that he wants full compensation.
The judge also stated that the crime committed by the defendant was a crime that had tended to become widespread and that it damaged the trust between the employer and the employee.
Judge Ozankaya announced that after evaluating all the facts, they sentenced the defendant to one year in prison.