Looting brigade strikes again

Treasurer of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Sonnie Eric Adinyira, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly conspiring with Godwin Komla Amegbe and Richard Asamoah (at large), both staff of CAGD, Mawufemor Wugah, loan officer at ASSA Savings and Loan Company and Kennedy Antwi, Supervisor with Zoomlion, to loot a staggering Ghc823, 120.17 from state coffers.

All accused persons were charged with two counts of stealing, conspiracy, defrauding by false pretence, forgery of document, with Mawufemor Wugah and Kennedy Antwi getting additional charge of stealing, to which they all pleaded not guilty.

They were alleged to have formed an alliance and created a pension beneficiary account of supposed deceased Patience Kuwornu (alive) and ten other retired pensioners’ beneficiary accounts of various institutions and succeeded in paying an amount of Ghc823, 120.17 to themselves.

They were picked up by the Bureau of National Investigation personnel from Standard Chartered Bank, where they withdrew an amount of Ghc77, 000 after the bank officials insisted they provide document to prove the death of Patience Kuwornu.

The plea to grant the accused persons bail was, however, admitted by the presiding judge, Madam Jennifer Mayles Ahmed, after their counsel explained to the court that his clients have been in custody for two weeks.

He told the court that, the alleged crimes of his clients do not fall under non-bailable offences, as stipulated by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Adding that, all accused persons have a place of abode and have sureties who are ready to stand for them.

The application for the bail by the accused person’s counsel was, however, opposed by the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor, who said the court should remand them since investigations was ongoing.

“My Lord, look at the amount involved, we are talking about GH¢823, 120.17 and it is crippling the economy. The court is here to ensure the state is enjoying her peace, and we pray for the court to remand them to assist in investigations”, he said.

Madam Jennifer Mayles Ahmed, after listening to the arguments from both sides, granted the accused persons bail, to reappear on October 30, 2014.

In the month of June 2014, Godwin Komla Amegbe contracted Sonnie Eric Adinyira to get him someone to open a bank account with any branch of the Standard Chartered Bank, for a supposed deceased pensioner beneficiary (Patience Kuwornu).

Sonnie Eric Adinyira then introduced Mawufemor Wugah and Kennedy Antwi to Godwin Komla Amegbe and Wugah agreed to open the account with Ghc12 at the Abeka Lapaz branch of the Standard Chartered Bank to enable them withdraw Ghc77, 000 as pension benefit for Patience Kuwornu, a former GES director.

On September 1, 2014, Wugah informed them that the above amount had been credited into the account and on September 19, 2014, Wugah was accompanied by Kennedy Antwi to ensure he does not run away with the money after withdrawal.

The bank officials were said to have asked Wugah to produce documents of the deceased person, on whose behalf the sum of Ghc77,000 was credited into the account.

Wugah then went back and informed his accomplices of the development, after which Eric Adinyira gave him a letter of administration, an affidavit, confirmatory letter purportedly prepared by Godwin Komla Amegbe, indicating Wugah is a beneficiary of the deceased.

The Bank, after alerting the BNI, then called Wugah to come and withdraw the money, but he was apprehended by the BNI after the withdrawal, whilst Kennedy Antwi managed to escape.

An amount of Ghc35, 000 which he withdrew was later retrieved from him. Later Godwin Komala Amegbe and Sonny Eric Adinyira were arrested, and they confirmed the fictitious transaction.

On September 29, 2014, Kennedy Antwi was traced and arrested and during interrogations, he admitted to the offence and mentioned that Sonny Eric Adinyirah made him open an account at Barclays where an amount of Ghc69, 000 was paid into it.

Kennedy Antwi also told the police that after he withdrew the amount, Adinyirah gave him Ghc200, but he was not aware the whole transaction was to steal government’s money.

DSP Anor told the court that the deceased, Patience Kuwornu, has never worked with the Ghana Education Service.