Executive Director of the National Service
Scheme (NSS) Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Imoro has been remanded by
an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing GhȻ86.9million of state
funds.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge to one
count of stealing contrary to section 124 (1) of the Criminal Offences
Act, Act 29 of 1960, but was remanded to reappear on October 27, 2014.
The Cocoa Affairs Circuit Court refused an
application for bail by Alhaji Imoro’s lawyer, upholding the
prosecution’s prayer for a remand warrant to enable investigations into
fraud in operations of the NSS.
The court was presided over by Mr Francis Obiri.
Investigations conducted by the Bureau of
National Investigations (BNI) indicates that a total of 22,612 ghost
names were generated at the headquarters of the NSS resulting in the
loss of GhȻ7.9million in July alone.
According to the prosecution, from the
month of September 2013 to July 2014 Alhaji Imoro stole a total sum of
Ghc86.9million from the state coffers.
Prosecution said this was after a report
received by the BNI indicated malfeasance in the postings and payment of
allowances to service persons.
Prosecutor, DSP Abraham Annor said
investigations so far revealed that for every month starting from
September 2013, to July this year, an amount of GH 7.9 million cedis was
paid to 22,612 nonexistent or ‘ghost ‘ service persons.
Prosecution noted that the ghost names were generated at the NSS headquarters under the supervision of the former NSS boss.
The state said Alhaji Imoro instructed
that the names be added to the Payment Vouchers. The vouchers were then
distributed to the Regional National Service Scheme Directors and on
receipt, they also distributed to the District Directors under their
jurisdiction.
Prosecution indicated that Imoro signed
cheques for payments and these were deposited in the various banks of
the districts where service persons withdrew their allowances.
He also issued instructions to the
District Directors that after the allowances of the genuine service
persons have been paid, the money for the ghost names should be
withdrawn and sent to him through the Regional Directors.
Prosecution said in all an amount of GH 86.9million cedis was received by Imoro from the 10 Regional Directors.
Source: Ghana/myjoyonline
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