MOTI retired Accountant remanded for stealing

An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded one Edmond Agbotah, a retired Accountant for stealing an amount of GH¢ 202,000.00 belonging to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Edmond pleaded not guilty to the charge but was remanded into police custody by the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandor to reappear on May 24.

The prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu told the court that the complainant is the Chief Accountant at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, while the accused person is a former Senior Accountant with the Ministry now on retirement.

He said between January and December 2015, the Internal Auditor of the Ministry audited the suspect and detected that there is payment vouche whichof GH¢ 98,858.21 could not be located in the voucher file.

He said Edmond allegedly made payments for third party services; staff honorarium; and allowances yet the parties did not receive these monies.

Police Chief Inspector Adu told the court that taxes to be paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was withheld, yet cheques were written and signed in favour of the GRA but these amount totaling GH¢ 120,299.40 did not reach the GRA..

The prosecutor said on April 28, the Ministry detected that; the accused person had in all stolen an amount of GH¢ 202,000.00.

Edmond was therefore arrested on May 4 where he admitted giving GH? 90.000.00 to his friend by name Sampson who lives at Spintex but could not lead the police to the said Sampson’s house.