Accountant before court for falsification of figures

Accra, Sept. 8, GNA - A 33-year-old Accountant appeared before a Circuit Court in Accra on Monday charged with falsification of figures. James Ed-Jonathan of Diamond Foods Company Limited faces 10 counts of stealing and forgery of documents.

The Prosecution said he succeeded in stealing 33.2 million cedis belonging to his employers.

Before the accused was put in the dock, his father, Mr Emmanuel Hayibor, rushed to refund 27 million cedis to the Police. Ed-Jonathan pleaded not guilty and was admitted to 50 million cedis bail with two sureties to reappear on September 26.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Elizabeth Alormatu told the court chaired by Mr Williewise Kyereme that the company employed the accused on May 1, last year as an Accountant.

DSP Alormatu said on February 14, this year the Managing Director detected that the Accountant had forged his signature on the company's letterhead and applied for a German Visa.

When he was confronted he apologised, but the Managing Director dismissed him.

The Prosecutor said the complainant later discovered that Ed-Jonathan had forged his signature on two cheques with face value of 20 million cedis and five million cedis drawn on Agricultural Development Bank, Cedi House, in Accra.

ASP Alormatu said that the Accountant also inflated the company's salary vouchers for December last year and January this year by 2.4 million cedis for each month.

According to the Prosecutor the extra 2.4 million cedis on the salary for February was noticed and paid back to the company funds because Ed-Jonathan had been sacked in mid-February.