Biomedical Engineer in court over fraud and false cheques

A Biomedical Engineer has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding Management of New Crystal Hospital Services of GHC877,622.

Nana Yaw Appiah is said to have collected the money from management of the Hospital under the pretext of supplying them with assorted medical equipment but failed.

Appiah, charged with defrauding by false pretences and two counts of issuing false cheques, pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Evelyn Asamoah admitted Appiah to bail in the sum of GHC1million with four sureties, two of whom are to be gainfully employed.

It further directed prosecution to file their disclosures and adjourned the matter to November 16, 2023.

Appiah’s lawyer prayed for bail, saying the matter before the court was an agreement between two corporate entities.

According to defense counsel, the accused person was not a flight risk, and he had a fixed place of abode.

Counsel said accused when granted bail, would appear to stand trial.

Defense counsel held that the accused person was also pursuing his debtors.

Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmaneul Haligah did not oppose to bail but informed the court that the bail extended to the accused person should commiserate with the amount involved.

ASP Haligah said the bail condition should also compel the accused to appear to stand trial.

Prosecution told the court that the complainant was George Kennedy Etwire, the Chief Financial Officer of New Crustal Hospital Services NCHS) located at Ashiaman.

According to the prosecutor, the accused person is also the Chief Executive Officer of Engisys Limited and resident of Weija.

It said in 2022, the New Crystal Health Service was putting up a new hospital facility at Ashiaman to be inaugurated in November 2022.

Prosecution told the court that Appiah approached the hospital Consultants, Ampe International Health Consultants and made a representation to them that he could supply the hospital’s Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) with the relevant medical equipment.

Based on that, Appiah was invited by the management of New Crystal Health Services and he confirmed what he had told the consultant of the Hospital.

Prosecution said Appiah indicated that he could supply the following equipment: water softeners, two trolleys, loading autoclave, built-in steam generators, two surgical kick buckets among others, all totaling GHC877, 622.

It said management of the hospital asked Appiah to provide a proforma invoice with a total amount of GHC1, 097,028 on the following terms: 80 per cent (877,622) down payment and balance of 20 per cent (GHC219,405) payable upon delivery and installation.

Prosecution said on March 9, 2023, a First Atlantic Bank cheque with face value of GHC 877,622.40 was given to the accused person for the purchase of the above-mentioned equipment and he issued a receipt to that effect and promised to supply the equipment by August 2022.

It said the accused person failed to supply the equipment and, in an attempt, to refund the said amount issued UBA cheque dated December 23, 2022, to the complainant’s company.

When the cheque was presented, it was dishonored, Prosecution added.

The prosecutor told the court that the company petitioned the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana police Service about the matter.

The accused person issued another Standard Chartered Bank Cheque with the face value of GHC950,000 to the hospital but the second cheque was also dishonored for lack of funds in the account, the Prosecutor said.