Accountant Jailed for Two Years Over GHC40,433.50 Embezzlement from Ghana Police Church

Edward Unicorn, a 32-year-old accountant, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Adentan Circuit Court for embezzling GHC40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church. Unicorn, who had been found guilty of theft, admitted to using the misappropriated funds to place bets on an online gambling platform, Aviator.

In a court session presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, Unicorn revealed that he had used the money to gamble, stating, “I spent the money by playing Aviator (an online betting game). I staked it and never won. I was desperate to win but lost.” He further explained his actions, saying, “I was addicted to Aviator, so my brother referred me to a doctor at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. I called him twice, and I never went to see him. I put in the GHC40,000 bits by bit. I was desperate to win.”

The court has also directed that Unicorn pay GHC5,000, and the GHC2,775 recovered from him be returned to the Ghana Police Church.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Anim Darko, disclosed that the complainant is a police officer and the chaplain of the church. Unicorn, who began working for the church in June 2024, was responsible for handling cash collected from offertories, managing the church’s mobile money accounts, preparing payrolls, and generating monthly financial reports for the church’s Financial Committee.

Due to his position, Unicorn had unrestricted access to the church’s mobile money account, which allowed him to manipulate the cash flow into the church’s account.

The court heard that on August 17, 2024, Unicorn left work with the church’s Mobile Money phone and went to Jerry’s Pub, where he met with a friend, Wishwell Kofi Yorke. Following this, Unicorn hired two Nigerian prostitutes and visited the Purple Pub in Osu. During this outing, he made a GHC136 payment from the church’s mobile money account at the Purple Pub between 1:00 AM and 7:22 AM the following day.

Further investigation revealed that Unicorn had deposited GHC18,303 into Wishwell Kofi Yorke’s mobile money account and GHC13,588 into his own account on August 18, 2024, all of which was used to gamble on Aviator.

In an attempt to evade capture, Unicorn pretended to suffer from a mental condition and was taken to the Ghana Police Hospital before being directed to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital for treatment and discharge.

The theft was discovered on August 19, 2024, when the complainant reported the missing funds to the East Legon Police Station. Subsequent audits revealed discrepancies in the church’s financial records, including GHC5,000 of GHC7,000 collected on July 14, 2024, missing from the bank account, and GHC6,500 collected on July 21, 2024, with only GHC6,000 deposited. Additionally, GHC3,143.50 collected on August 18, 2024, was unaccounted for.

Unicorn was arrested and remanded for further investigation, culminating in his conviction and sentencing.