Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 13 April 2006

Source: GNA

Police mounts search for court cashier

Sunyani, April 13, GNA - The police in Sunyani have mounted a search for Emmanuel Frimpong, 55, cashier of Sunyani Magistrate court "B" who is suspected to have embezzled millions of cedis belonging to the court.

The monies are fines, deposits and revenues paid to the court. Chief Superintendent Christian Tetteh Yohuno, municipal commander who confirmed the story to the Ghana News Agency said a case was reported at the municipal police station on March 25 this year that Frimpong had vanished with the keys of the court safe.

He said the safe was subsequently carried to the GRATIS Foundation office, former Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU) and when broken into under the supervision of the police and some court staff, 3.3 million cedis, court payment vouchers (CPV) and some receipts books were found in it.

When contacted, Mr. D. B. Afari, Brong Ahafo Regional Administrator of the Judiciary Service, said the matter had been referred to the internal auditors for further investigations.

He could not mention the actual amount embezzled, saying only the findings of the auditors would determine that.

The Administrator added that Frimpong had since March 21, this year, not reported for work and his wife at Berekum had denied any knowledge about his whereabouts.