By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Aug. 24, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has granted one Evans Kankam, an Accountant with Valco Trust Fund bail in the sum of GH₵50, 000 with two sureties on five counts of forgery and stealing.
Kankam pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Court presided over by Mrs Adelaide Abui Keddey adjourned the matter to September 6, 2022.
Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim told the court that the complainant in the case was Kelvin Kwaku Yeboah, the Acting Executive Officer of Valco Trust Fund.
The prosecution said on February 21, 2022, the Manager of Sampe Branch of GCB Bank called the complainant to confirm payment of GH₵150,000.00 into the account of the accused person.
Chief Inspector Ayim said as the complainant could not answer the call, the money was paid into the accounts of the accused.
The prosecution said in the evening of the same day, the complainant returned the call, and the Manager told him that a cheque for an amount of GH 150,000.00 purported to have been issued by him was credited into the account of the accused person.
The complainant was also told that, the Fund had also requested an investment of GH₵ 200,000.00 with the GCB Bank in one-year fixed deposit.
Chief Inspector Ayim said the complainant informed the Manager that he had not issued any directives to the Bank and reported the matter to the Police and the accused was arrested.
The prosecution said a search conducted in the accused person’s black handbag revealed copies of the request letter he forged to the relationship Manager of Zenith Bank, Head office, Accra for the transfer of GH¢350,000.00 to Trustees of the Valco Fund on the High Street Accra.
The Chief Inspector said the accused also forged another letter to the branch Manager, GCB Bank on the High Street, Accra to invest GH₵200,000.00 in fixed deposit for one year.
“Also found in the bag were copies of the request to invest funds, which showed when the accused was practicing how to forge the complainant’s signature,” he said.
The prosecution said during investigation, it was detected that, on February 16, 2022, the accused wrote a letter on the letter head of Valco Trust Fund and forged the signature of the complainant on it to Zenith Bank to transfer an amount of GH₵ 350,000.00 from the Trust account into another Valco Trust Fund account at GCB Bank.
He said it was also detected that, on February 18, 2022, the accused forged the signature of the complainant on Valco Trust Fund cheque for GH¢150,000.00 to be paid into his account.
The accused had also forged the signature of the complainant on the letter head of the Fund and also requested to invest the remaining GH₵200,000.00 in the name of the Trust Fund at GCB Bank in fixed deposit for one year.
The prosecution said the accused also withdrew the interest after the investment had matured to settle part of the GH150,000.00 he allegedly stole.
On April 20, 2022, an Audit Report was received from the Ghana Audit Service to the effect that, the accused also forged the signature of the complainant to “Tumi Wurs Yesu” Enterprise, on a payment voucher and on Valco Trust Fund Stanbic cheque for the supply and payment of acoustic ceiling products to the tune of GH₵22,142.00.
He said the accused allegedly received the supply and sent same to his building project site at Sampa in the Bono Region.
In his investigation cautioned statement to the Police, the accused admitted the offence.
GNA