Cape Coast (Central Region) 17 May ?99

A senior accounts clerk of the Irrigation Development Authority standing trial at a Cape Coast Regional Tribunal for stealing 13,763,500 cedis belonging to the government, on Friday pleaded with the tribunal to grant him two weeks to enable his relatives refund the amount.

Rutherford Emmanuel Adu pleaded guilty to charges of forgery of documents and stealing the amount.

When the tribunal, chaired by Mr K.B. Aning, was about to pass sentence, counsel for Adu, Mr Harry Hayford, pleaded with the tribunal to defer it.

Mr. Aning said since the money involved belonged to the state and the accused was determined to pay it, the tribunal would grant him the request.

Adu was, however, remanded in custody until Tuesday, May 25, for sentence. According to the prosecution, Adu forged and stole the amount belonging to his employers between 1997 and 1998.

The offence was detected during an internal auditing.