The Head Pastor of Word Charismatic Chapel, Abossey Okai, Pastor John Kwesi Akorli has been arrested together with three others for defrauding various state agencies of millions of Ghana cedis.
The other suspects were Alfred Kwamena Abbew, 41, Frank Kojo Eshun aka Ato Kwamina Ghartey, 44, and Nana Amoako aka Emmanuel Quayson.
Some of the state agencies defrauded by the group were Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), Ghana Health Service, Gomoa East District Assembly, Dormaa Ahenkro District Assembly, Diamond Cement, Juaboso Bia District Assembly, Obuasi Municipal Assembly, and Community Water and Sanitation Agency Head Office in Accra.
Two others arrested in connection with the fraud, Bernice Eshun, 30, wife of Frank Eshun, and Ernest Twum Boateng, 43, were granted police enquiry bail
However, police are yet to arrest five other suspects mentioned by the arrested persons as their accomplices.
They are George Nyarko aka Emmanuel Opoku Peprah, George Kofi Adams, Samuel Wilson aka KK, Kwesi Appiah aka Kwesi Owusu and Samuel Nyanteh aka Yaw Sammy.
Money siphoned from BOST by the suspects amounted to GH¢1,671,244.50, while the cases of other agencies equally defrauded by the suspects were being handled by the respective police stations where the fraud occurred.
Briefing the media yesterday, Chief Superintendent Joseph Oklu Gyamera, Accra Central Divisional Police Commander said the complainant in the case was an internal auditor of BOST where Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, a Vice Chairman of NDC, is the board chairman.
In October 2011, Suspect Frank Kojo Eshun presented to BOST, a forged National Service posting letter bearing the name Ato Kwamina Ghartey and claimed he had been posted there by the National Service Secretariat for his service.
The suspect, who claimed he had an Accounting background, was sent to the account department.
After a few weeks, the suspect was detailed to deposit cheques meant for BOST into their Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and First Atlantic Bank accounts respectively.
Frank Eshun, with the assistance of George Nyarko, George Adams and Pastor John Kwesi Akorli, allegedly opened a fictitious account with another bank (name withheld) using forged company registration documents.
Frank Eshun, with the aid of his accomplices, siphoned an amount of GH¢1,671,244.50 from BOST into the fictitious account.
The suspects later withdrew an amount of GH¢1,386,700 from the account and shared it amongst themselves.
Suspect Frank Eshun gave part of his share to his wife, Bernice Eshun to save in her bank account.
A total of GH¢213,111.00 and $4700 was retrieved from the account of Bernice Eshun by the police while the suspect used part of the money to buy five vehicles, namely a Nissan Pathfinder Armada, Nissan Almera taxi, a Kia Sorento, a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry and registered them in the name of his wife.
All the vehicles have been seized by the police.
Pastor John Akorli, on the other hand, received an amount of GH¢687,500 as his share and according to the police, he used part of the money to buy two plots of land at Amasaman and a Benz saloon car.
Police investigations later revealed that Ernest Twum Boateng, Frank Eshun and George Nyarko secured the forged BOST company documents for the fake account while Nana Amoako prepared the forged National Service posting letter.
Samuel Wilson had an amount of GH¢247, 350 as his share of the booty while Kwesi Appiah and Samuel Nyanteh received GH¢121,700 and GH¢103,750.00 respectively as their share of the money.
Frank Eshun and Nana Amoako, who were arrested on October 7, and 8, 2013 respectively, admitted to the offence and mentioned the others as their accomplices.
Efforts are being made to apprehend the five other suspects currently on the run.