35-year-old Sonia Eugenia Anthony is alleged to have stolen GH¢84,461.00 from her employers, Vine Hospitality Investment Limited.
As an Administrator of the company, Sonia was allegedly entrusted with monies to pay utility bills, as well as sales to be deposited in the employer’s bank account, but failed to do so.
She is now facing seven counts of stealing and has been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢70,000.00, with two sureties, one to be justified.
The case was brought before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Ellen Ofei-Ayeh, on Monday, July 31, 2023.
The application for bail by her lawyer was granted after her plea of innocent was taken.
Presenting the case before the court, Chief Inspector Moses Mensah Soagede said Sonia was reported to the police by Mercy Fremponmaa Darko, an Accountant with Vine Hospitality Investment – a restaurant.
He said the accused was in changed of handling funds of the company, which include depositing sales made from the restaurant into the company’s account on a daily basis, payment of utility bills, and the custodian of the keys to its safe.
The accused is also responsible for the processing and facilitation of Ghanaian work permits for foreign employees working with the company, as well as submit all receipts of her transactions to the complainant (Accountant).
The Prosecuting Officer said on January 11, 2023, the Accounts Department of the company released cash in the total sum of GH¢17,073.00 to the accused to pay utility bills for the month of December, 2022, but she failed with the excuse that the utility companies were having network challenges, but it was later detected that she diverted the funds for her personal use.
On May 3rd, 8th, 10th, 11th and 28th the accused collected GH¢ 4,700.00, GH¢ 6,375.00, GH¢ 5,412.00, GH¢1,266.00 and GH¢ 24,795.00 respectively from the company’s with the sole aim of depositing the monies into the company’s bank account with First Atlantic Bank at Osu branch but once again diverted those funds and made use of them.
The company in the same month of May this year, needed the services of a South African National by name Daniel Odendal to take up the position of the Head Brewer of the restaurant and therefore needed to acquire him a Ghanaian working permit.
As such the accused who was tasked to facilitate the process, submitted an invoice of GH¢24,840.00 with an account of Standard Chartered Bank Head office bearing the name of Eyram Agbenanuame and instructed the accounts department to make payment into the said account.
After the payments were made into the said account, Sonia contacted the account holder who happened to be her friend and requested the money to be withdrawn for her on May 6.
After some period when the accused could not account for all transactions done by her, a formal complaint was made to the Police and she was arrested.
During investigations, it came to light that all of money taken by the accused were diverted for her personal use.
In the cause of investigations, complainant furnished Police with records of money taken and signed by the accused from the company’s safe, which never got into their account.
Enquiries made at the Bank and utility office also indicated that the accused had not been to those offices in recent times, so her claim that the receipts for those transactions were not available due to network challenges was false.
The police also managed to retrieve a sum of GH¢50,000.00 out of a total sum of GH¢84,461.00 which has been released to the complainant leaving a balance of GH 34,461.00 that had not been counted for by the accused.
Her friend Eyram Agbenanuame has submitted a written statement to police, confirming the act.
The case has been adjourned to September 8, 2023, for continuation.
