Judicial Service cashier jailed for stealing

Sunyani (B/A) Aug. 24, son) GNA - Andrews Claude Achemakali, a former cashier of Sunyani district Magistrate's court "B", was on Monday sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment in hard labour for stealing 11,686,800 cedis belonging to the Judicial Service.

He pleaded guilty and the court ordered him to refund the amount after serving the sentence.

The court said even though Achemakali was originally charged for stealing 19,112,600 cedis, the court exonerated him on some of the charges.

The court noted that the accused had also refunded a little over one million cedis to the police in the course of investigations. The case of the prosecution was that in August last year a team of Auditors of the Financial Inspectorate of the Judicial Service audited the accounts of the court.

They found from Achemakali's books from June to September 8, last year, that he collected 26,722,600 cedis but cash in his safe was 7,610,000 cedis, indicating that 19,112,600 cedis had been misappropriated.

The team subsequently reported the matter to the Administrative Secretary of the Judicial Service and accused was arrested.