JULY 9, 2008 (Page 31)
THE investigator in the GH¢33,850 theft case involving three former workers of Yasarko Printing Press Limited, a printing firm in Accra, has informed the Circuit Court in Accra that one of the accused persons admitted forging the signature of the company's chief executive to steal money from the company's accounts.
Detective Corporal Eric Ofori said the accused person, Hanson Lawrence Agyare-Sefah, admitted in his caution statement that he (Agyare-Sefah) sneaked into the office of the Director of the company, Mr Yaw Sarkodie, to steal an unspecified number of leaflets from the Standard Chartered Bank cheque books.
D/Cpl Ofori, who is stationed at the Korle Bu Police Station, said Lawrence admitted in his caution statement that he used part of the stolen money to purchase two Nissan Urvan buses.
He said the vehicles had been retrieved and accordingly tendered the documents covering them in evidence as exhibits.
The investigator was giving his evidence-in-chief in the case in which Agyare-Sefah, a former security officer of the Yasarko Printing Press Limited, and Joseph Oppong and Christian Aban, both former drivers of the company, were alleged to have acted together to steal GH¢33,850 belonging to the company.
Agyare-Sefah faces 34 counts of conspiracy and stealing while Oppong and Aban are each charged with one count of abetment of crime.
They have all pleaded not guilty and have since been granted bail.
Continuing with his testimony, the investigator informed the court that Agyare-Sefah wrote three caution statements on August 17, 19 and 27, 2006 respectively, in the presence of an independent witness.
Agyare-Sefah, whose counsel was absent, admitted in open court that he wrote down the caution statement himself.
The statements were tendered in evidence as exhibits.
According to the investigator, Agyare-Sefah led him to the bank to retrieve a total of GH¢3,100. He also tendered the money in evidence after Agyare-Sefah had admitted in open court that he (Agyare-Sefah) led the investigator to retrieve the money from his bank accounts.
D/Cpl Ofori told the court that Oppong and Aban denied any wrongdoing in their caution statements.
The investigator told the court that he took the accused persons to the Dansoman branch of the Standard Chartered Bank where a video clip showed the accused person receiving moneys on different dates and times for 15 times reflecting on the stolen cheques.
He said he also saw Oppong and Aban withdrawing GH¢2,000 and GH¢900 respectively on different dates and times reflecting on the stolen cheques.
D/Cpl Ofori said he took specimen handwritings of the director of the company, as well as that of Agyare-Sefah and Aban, and forwarded them to the Police Crime Laboratory for examination.
According to him, the results proved it was Agyare-Sefah who wrote the cheques by forging the director's signature.
He tendered the Police Laboratory report in evidence and explained that he did not take specimen handwriting from Oppong because Oppong was not literate.
He said during investigations, it emerged that Agyare-Sefah had given GH¢17,000 and $3,000 to a policewoman to purchase a Mazda saloon car and quantities of bathroom accessories.
He said the policewoman returned the items and documents covering them and accordingly tendered them in evidence as exhibits but Agyare-Sefah denied the claims.
D/Cpl said it also came to his notice that Agyare-Sefah signed the cheques and gave them to Oppong and Aban to withdraw.
He has since completed with his evidence-in-chief.
The court ordered the accused persons to apply for the proceedings and give them to their lawyers to enable the lawyers to cross examine the investigator on the next adjourned date.
Hearing continues on July 9, 2008.
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