Court fines unemployed for attempting to defraud SIC

Kumasi, Jan 27, GNA - A Kumasi circuit court on Friday fined a 43-year-old unemployed GH=A2450 for deceit and attempting to defraud the State Insurance Company (SIC).

Alex Appiah-Koree, who had pleaded not guilty, changed his plea to guilty and pleaded with the court for leniency, saying he had now known that what he did was wrong. He will serve 18 months in jail term if he fails to pay the fine. Appiah-Koree was arrested in May 2007 for attempting to use false medical and police reports to claim insurance compensation from the SIC in an accident in which he was never involved. The vigilance of investigators at the SIC led to his arrest together with one Michael Fordjour, a Medical Assistant at the Kumawu health centre, who allegedly connived and signed the fake medical report for him.

They would have defrauded the company to the tune of GH=A25,000 if they had succeeded in their operations. Fordjour is currently on bail and he is expected to appear before the court on February 1, to continue with his cross examination of the investigators of the SIC. The court, presided over by Mr Yaw Adutwum-Mmorosa, said he took into consideration the fact that the accused was a first time offender and had also shown a lot of remorse and the plea for mitigation by his counsel Mr Ohene Manu, before pronouncing the judgement. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Alice Ansah, said Appiah-Koree, together with Fordjour, were arrested at their hideout at Ejisu and Kumawu respectively for trying to use fake documents to collect insurance claims from the SIC in an accident in which they were not involved.