Three charged for embezzlement

Accra Aug. 16, GNA - Three persons who allegedly stole payment orders and bank cheques and succeeded in withdrawing monies totalling 527, 020.27 Ghana cedis on Monday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

The monies were said to be unclaimed by Civil and Public Servants for some time now.

The three are Christine Sekyi, Regional Director of the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD), Ho branch, Emmanuel Asirifi Accounts Officer, CAGD, Accra and Ransford Darffour, Ho Regional Manger of the SG-SSB Bank.

Sekyi, Asirifi and Darffour are being held for conspiracy and stealing.

Sekyi is facing an additional charge of forgery of documents.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court has admitted them to GH 200,000 cedis with two sureties one to be justified.

They are expected to reappear on August 30.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A.A. Annor told the court that security personnel were making frantic effort to arrest other culprits.

The facts as presented by Prosecuting ASP Annor are that the witnesses in the case are security officers from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Prosecution said somewhere in January, 2009, Sekyi and Asirifi allegedly had close discussion as to how to steal payment orders and bank cheques meant for Standard Chartered Bank and other banks in Accra, Ho and Kumasi, which were unclaimed by the Civil and Public Servants for some time now.

Prosecution said Sekyi assured Asirifi he could arrange for the payment of orders and cheques to be paid at SG-SSB Ho Branch.

Sekyi therefore collected 13 cheques from Asirifi and went to Ho and arranged with Darffour, the bank manager, to assist them claim the money.

As a result, Darffour alerted the two accused persons that there was a dormant fuel account for civil and public servants which had not been used for years.

Darffour then made Sekyi to complete a form which bear the signatories of his and forged that of his deputy.

Darffour therefore re-activated the dormant fuel account and the payment of the money orders and cheques were lodged into the account.

After the process, prosecution said, Sekyi went to the Ho branch of the SG-SSB bank during odd periods to withdraw the monies which the three accused persons shared.

Prosecution said their activities commenced from January 2009 until July 2010 when they were apprehended by the security personnel.