COURT DISCHARGES BANK MANAGER OF FRAUD CHARGES (MIRROR, PAGE 27)

From Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah,
Sunyani
For the failure of the prosecution to establish a case of forgery of document, altering forged document and stealing against Nana George Amoah, the former Supervising Manager of the Tano Rural Bank at Ntotroso in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, the Sunyani Circuit Court “A” has acquitted and discharged the accused person .
The presiding Judge Mr G.H.K Debrah in his ruling, stated that, “In line with the position of the law, I am not convinced that the accused committed any of the offences for which he was brought to this court. I will therefore politely acquit and discharge the accused”.
The prosecutor told the court that, Amoah was the Supervising Manager of the Tano Rural Bank from 2000 to 2006 and in the course of his stewardship, he opened a savings account No 0426 in the name of one Yaw Badu and deposited a total of GH¢11,820 into the account against the bank’s practices.
According to the prosecution, he then invented a signature for the said Badu and again signed his own signature as the Manager to confirm the genuineness of the transactions.
The prosecution indicated that in March 2006, an audit team discovered the account and transaction and accordingly interrogated the accused and subsequently referred him to the Serious Fraud Office for further investigations.
In the course of it, the prosecution said the accused admitted opening the account and stated that he created it for his sibling who was very young and that he managed it on his behalf but he could not produce the said Yaw Badu to the investigators.
The investigators, therefore classified the account as a “ ghost” one and that operating accounts in the name of non-existing persons was against the bank’s regulations and had therefore, led to a huge financial loss to the bank and so after investigations he was charged with the offences.