Wa (Upper West) - The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Wednesday placed Mr E.L. Ofori, Senior Accountant of the Upper West Regional Office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in police custody for allegedly defrauding the state to the tune of 63 million cedis.
A source at the Wa Police Station told the Ghana News Agency that between May and December 1999, Mr Ofori obtained expenditure authorisation from the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD), Accra, for payment of the fumigation of the offices of the GES. The amount, which was authorised in two instalments of 31 million and 32 million cedis, was posted into the GES jacket at the Upper West Regional Office of the CAGD.
The source alleged that a "ghost contractor" was then certified to have executed the job. It said Mr Ofori later prepared vouchers covering the amount for the job and forged the signatures of the Upper West Regional Director and Regional Accountant of the GES. The vouchers went through all the processes without being detected until after the second cheque for 32 million cedis had been cashed. The source said 12 people have been mentioned in the deal and the police are making efforts to apprehend them to help in their investigations. The official in charge of the Wa sub-office of the SFO refused to speak to the GNA on the issue, saying he had to first seek permission from Accra.
