Operations Officer held for alleged stealing granted bail by court  

An Accra Circuit Court has admitted Patrick Ato Botchwey, the Operations Officer of Hans Nef Cocoa Limited, to a bail term of GH¢500,000.00 with three sureties.

Mr. Botchwey initially pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The Court presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, said the sureties must all be government workers, who earned not less than GH¢1,500.00 monthly.

The Court further ordered the accused to report to the Nima Police Station once a week, and adjourned the matter to February 9.

The complainant in the case is Mr Augustine Opoku Yeboah, the Director of Hans Nef Cocoa Limited.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector William Kwadwo Boateng, said on July 20, 2019, Botchwey was engaged as an Operation Officer, where an amount of GH¢1, 107,250 was given to him to buy 2,150 bags of Cocoa beans for the Company.

He said the accused person after collecting the money used GH¢727,605.00 to purchase 1,413 bags Of the Cocoa beans for the Company.

An audit conducted into the accused person’s accounts with the Company revealed that the accused person pocketed an amount of GH¢486,420.00 for his personal use.

Prosecution said when Mr. Yeboah confronted Mr Botchwey about the money, the accused person could not give any tangible explanation.

He said accused person secretly removed the building documents (Collateral) from his personal file, which was used as security at the time of his engagement with the Company, from the Director’s office.

Prosecution further said, Mr Botchwey then abandoned his position in the Company and went into hiding in Kumasi.

Prosecution said a complaint was lodged and he was arrested.

Accused in his caution statement admitted the offence.

Source: GNA.