Joseph Amaning, a building contractor, and two traders, Baffour Nkyi and Gideon Agyei Gyamfi, are alleged to have forged GLICO Insurance claim in excess of GH¢400,000.00.
The trio were allegedly claiming the insurance in the name of deceased, Jacob Tetteh, who according to police investigation was not related to them.
They have, therefore, been charged with altering forged document and possessing forged document, offences contrary to Sections 169 of Act 29 and 166 of Act 30 respectively of the Criminal Offence Act 1960.
Two of the accused persons, Joseph Amaning and Baffour Nkyi, were in court while Gideon failed to do same.
The prosecution officer, Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, prayed the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, on Monday not to take the accused persons’ plea.
Mr. Addo has, however, admitted Joseph and Baffour to bail in the sum of GH¢50,000.00 with two sureties each. They are also to report to the police investigator every Friday between 11:00am and 1:00pm.
Details
C/Insp Ahiabor narrated to the court that Alexander Boakye-Yiadom is the complainant and Claims Officer at the Head Office of GLICO Life Insurance Company at Adabraka in Accra.
He said Joseph Amaning is a resident of Tema Community 9, Baffour Nkyi resides at East Legon and Gideon Agyei Gyamfi also lives at Akrade-Akosombo.
According to him, on January 19, 2023, the complainant received a GLICO Insurance Claims form from Joseph and Gideon who claimed to be brothers of deceased Jacob Tetteh, who allegedly died through a motor accident.
The court was told that Joseph and Gideon presented a claim of GH¢400,000.00.
However, when checks were conducted on the claim, it was detected that the document was fraudulently procured. A report was subsequently made at the Adabraka Police Station for investigation.
On May 22, 2023, Joseph was arrested and during interrogation, he confessed that the said form was given to him by a GLICO Officer, Gideon to fill and submit.
He allegedly told the police that Gideon called him on phone to meet him at GLICO office that his name has appeared on their policy document as a beneficiary.
The court further heard that on May 30, 2023, Baffour whose name appeared on the receipts of payments in respect of death certificate and burial permit of deceased Jacob Tetteh was also arrested but denied offence during interrogation.
On June 28, 2023, Gideon was also arrested at Atinpoku in the Eastern Region upon intelligence but also denied the offence in his caution statement.
Investigation further revealed that the deceased Jacob Tetteh died at the Kibi Government Hospital on September 25, 2022, after a short illness.
The court was further told that the deceased was buried at Asikasu No. 2 near Tafo in the Eastern Region on October 15, 2022.
Further investigations extended to the Asesewa Police Station disclosed that there was no accident of a case reported on December 25, 2022, as purported by the accused persons.
The District Commander at Asesewa Police Station also denied knowledge of the said accident report and submitted his statement to that effect.
The investigator at the Asesewa Police, whose name and signature appeared on the Coroner’s Form, also denied knowledge of the document.
Checks revealed that the accused persons are not in any way related to the deceased.
Further investigation revealed that soon after the death of the deceased, Baffour and his accomplices bought Funeral and Life Insurance Policy from the GLICO Insurance branch office at Koforidua in the name of deceased Jacob Tetteh and further managed to fraudulently procure the necessary supporting documents to support their claim.
The court was told that after investigations, the charges were preferred against the accused persons and brought before it.
