Five in court for stealing, forgery

Accra, May 20, GNA - Five persons who allegedly used a stolen cheque book belonging to Dizengoff Ghana Limited and succeeded in withdrawing GH¢93,450 from the bank appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday. They are Sylvester Anno Barnieh, aka Sly, a property investor, Mustapha Larriosn, aka Payless, a trader, Issaka Adamu, aka Jula, businessman, Ben Sallah, aka Alex Acheampong, and Godwin Ocloo, aka Yaw Boakye, both drivers. The five who are facing charges of conspiracy, stealing and forgery of documents have pleaded not guilty.

The court, presided over Mrs. Ivy Heward-Mills has remanded them into Police custody to reappear on May 28. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Abvevelim said the complainant Mr Kwabena Nkansah Adade was the Chief Accountant of Dizengoff Ghana Limited. ASP Abavelim said on January 23, this year, complainant's firm received a phone call from their bankers, Ghana Com,mercial Bank (GCB), that a cheque of GH¢81,450 was to be paid and cleared into the account of a company called Central Engineering Services.

The prosecution said the complainant realizing that the company had not issued any cheque asked the bank to dishonour it. The complainant therefore checked the company's account on line and to his surprise found that GH¢93,450 had been withdrawn on January 14, this year. ASP Abavelim said the company's accountant therefore proceeded to the Bank and noticed that that GH¢93,450 had been paid into an account by name Payless Wear Source at the Ring Road Branch of International Commercial Bank.

Further cheques also indicated that the company's cheque book was also missing. A report was therefore made to the Police and Larrison was arrested.

Larrision mentioned Barnieh and Adamu as his accomplices. On January 27, Sallah and Ocloo were arrested when they attempted to open another account with different names at Unibank, Apenkwa Branch. During his arrest Sallah had on him a passport bearing the name of Alex Acheampong but had his (Sallah) picture fixed in it. The prosecution said investigations revealed that Barnieh forged the signature of the chief accountant, withdrew the money and he, Larriosn and Adamu shared the GH¢93,450 cedis.