A Tema-based Ikson Properties Agency Ltd has filed a suit against a former employee for allegedly embezzling GH¢75, 000 belonging to the company.
The plaintiff company is seeking an order of the court for a refund of the amount with interest, effective November 2, 2023 till the day of final payment, and cost including legal fees.
The defendant, Mercy Agyei, is a banker with the Adum branch of ABSA Bank Ghana Limited.
The plaintiff claims that between September and November 2019, the defendant, then a student of the Accra Technical University, was admitted to undertake a mandatory industrial attachment in the marketing department of the plaintiff company.
The defendant was sent to collect GH¢75,000 from Electroland GhanaLimited at Kaase, in Kumasi, on behalf of the plaintiff company.
The plaintiff stated that the defendant collected the said amount from Electroland Ghana Limited on November 2, 2023 endorsed an official receipt in respect of the payment, but failed to pay the amount into the Company’s account, even though she told the CEO that she had paid the money into the company’s account.
However, in May 2024, during an informal audit of the bank statement, it was detected that the defendant had not paid the said amount into the company’s account as claimed.
As a result, the case was reported to the Asokwa Divisional Police Command, which is investigating the matter, pending a criminal trial.
The plaintiff believes that it will take the intervention of the court to retrieve its money after several attempts had proved futile.
Mercy Agyei has countered the claims by the plaintiff in a 12-point statement of defence, but admitted undertaking her industrial attachment with the plaintiff company.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General (AG) has been petitioned over the delay by the Asokwa Divisional Police in prosecuting the suspect in a criminal case since June 2024.
The complainant, Mr. Yawson Otoo, CEO of Ikson Properties Agency Limited, accused the Police Commander of aiding and abetting.
The suspect was allegedly arrested at Ayigya on June 29, 2024 and granted police enquiry bail on June 30, 2024 at the alleged instance of the Asokwa Police Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Acheampong pending investigations.
Five months on, the case has not been prosecuted in court.
The complainant suspects that the conduct of the Asokwa Divisional Police Commander seeks to aid and abet the suspect, with the pretext that he is acting on “orders from above”, not to take the matter to court.
The petitioner, through his solicitor, P. Asante Nnuro and Associates Limited, contends that the continued delay and refusal of the Police chief to prosecute the case in court is causing substantial hardship and loss to the company, hence the petition dated September 5, 2024 to seek the AG’s intervention for the expeditious determination of the matter, “The Republic versus Mercy Agyei”.
