Clerk goes in for two years for forgery

Tema, Dec 16, GNA- A former clerk of Extra Shipping Company in Tema who forged documents with the letter head of the company to obtain four telephone lines from Ghana Telecom was on Tuesday sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour by a Tema Circuit Court.

Azeable Celestine Agbeko, charged with forgery of documents and causing financial loss to the state, pleaded guilty to the first count but not guilty to the other count.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Stephen Teye, convicted him on his own plea but acquitted and discharged him on the second count.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Elizabeth Nutakor said in August 2001, Agbeko forged some documents with the letter head of Extra Sipping Company to acquire four telephone lines for two Lebanese who had visited the country to do some business.

The two Lebanese left the country and left behind a total debt of 234 million cedis as bills from Ghana Telecom.

Agbeko, however wrote a letter to Telecom to discontinue service of the phone lines.

On March 13 this year EQUINOX Debt Collection Limited, on behalf of Ghana Telecom, wrote to the Director of Extra Shipping Company requesting them to settle the outstanding bills but the Director of the Company rejected the claim and reported the case to the Police.