An accountant who stole GHC40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church has been given to two years in prison by an Adentan Circuit Court. The accountant was found guilty of the misappropriation of funds.
Edward Unicorn, who is 32 years old, submitted to the court that he had used the money to place bets and requested that the court release him on bond so that he could work and pay off the debt.
The charge of theft was brought against Unicorn. He entered a guilty plea and provided an explanation.
“The money was spent by me playing Aviator, which is a betting game that is played online. I put it on the line, yet I was never successful. I was eager to win, but I ended up losing.
My brother suggested that I see a physician at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital since I was addicted to the television show Aviator. I made two phone calls to him, but I never went to see him in person.
The GHC40,000 was inserted one bit at a time by me. In his explanation, he said, “I was desperate to win.”
In accordance with his own plea, the court, which was presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, found him guilty.
The document stipulated that Unicorn’s should make a payment of GHC5,000, and that the Ghana Police Church should receive a sum of GHC2,775 that was retrieved from the accused.
Chief Inspector Anim Darko, who is in charge of the prosecution, stated that the individual who filed the complaint is both a police officer and the chaplain of the church.
The statement stated that Unicorn was employed by the church as the accountant.
In the month of June in the year 2024, Unicorn was hired by the church.
The ushers who were in charge of receiving the offertory in the church were the ones who were responsible for collecting the cash.
Additionally, Unicorn was responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the church’s mobile money accounts, as well as the drafting of payroll and the submission of monthly reports to the Financial Committee.
The prosecution claimed that because of the position he held at the church, he always had access to the mobile money that the church used. This gave him the ability to have direct influence over the amount of money that was deposited into the church account’s account.
According to the testimony presented in court, Unicorn left his place of employment on August 17, 2024, at approximately 1900 hours, carrying the church Mobile Money phone with him.
Unicorn allegedly went to Jerry’s Pub and met up with a friend named Wishwell Kofi Yorke for a drink, as stated by the prosecution.
Following the hiring of two Nigerian prostitutes, Unicorn proceeded to the Purple Pub in Osu in order to continue their drinking and partying.
According to the allegation stated by the prosecution, Unicorn made a payment of GHC136 from the church Momo account at the Purple Pub between the hours of 01:00 and 07:22 on the 18th of August, 2024.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that on August 18, 2024, Unicorn deposited GHC18,303 into Wishwell Kofi Yorke’s Momo account and GHC13,588 into his personal Momo account. The entire amount was then utilized to play Aviator, which is a betting game that is played online.
The prosecutor stated that Unicorn, aware that he would be apprehended, pretended to have a mental condition in order to avoid being taken to the Ghana Police Hospital. After being transported there, he was then transferred to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where he received treatment and was eventually released.
Following the discovery of the theft on August 19, 2024, the complainant filed a complaint with the East Legon Police Station, according to the information provided.
The court was informed that Unicorn had been taken into custody and detained for additional investigative procedures.
Following the reconciliation of the church’s records, the prosecution stated that it was determined that on July 14, 2024, only GHC5,000 of the GHC7,000 that was collected as offertory was transferred into the bank account of the church.
Additionally, the prosecution stated that on July 21, 2024, an offering of GHC6,500 was received; however, only GHC6,000 was placed into the account of the church.
As stated by the prosecution, Unicorn did not provide an explanation for a second offertory that was collected on August 18, 2024, amounting to GHC3,143.50.