Cocoa purchasing clerk remanded over fraud

A cocoa purchasing clerk, Kwadjo Dwamena, has been remanded into prison custody for dishonestly appropriating an amount of 24,700 Ghana cedis belonging to his employer.

The accused pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge of fraudulent breach of trust and defrauding by false pretence when he appeared before the Tarkwa circuit court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew.

Dwamena who is to reappear in court on Monday May 8, claimed he was robbed in his house.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Faustina Celestina Anaman, told the court that the complainant, one Isaac Essoun, is the district manager of SIKA ABA Cocoa buying company limited at Dompim, near Tarkwa.

According to the prosecutor, the accused who is a farmer and stationed at Anti Abena village, near Benso in the Tarkwa Nsueam municipality, has worked with the complainant for two years ago.

She said on November 18, last year, Dwamena was found to have misappropriated an amount of 10,450 Ghana cedis which is an equivalent of 22 bags of dried cocoa beans.

Chief Inspector Anaman said on the same day the accused deceitfully went to the complainant and informed him that the money he took earlier for the 22 bags of cocoa beans was ready for conveyance to the depot.

Chief Inspector Anaman said Dwamena then requested for an additional amount of 14,250 Ghana cedis to enable him purchase 30 more bags of dried cocoa beans.

She said the complainant gave him the money in the presence of his depot keepers.

The prosecutor said after the complainant had given the money to the accused, he waited for a week, but Dwamena never showed up and he proceeded to his house only to realise that the accused had fled.

Inspector Anaman said on April 19, this year, the complainant reported the issue to the police and this led to the arrest of Dwamena from his hide out at Oyoko, near Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

She said investigation conducted by the police revealed that Dwamena had used 40 bags of the dried cocoa beans to defray a debt he owed FEDCO, another cocoa buying company and also used part to engage in illegal mining activities.

The prosecutor said the accused then went into hiding after he had spent all the money.