Lotto Agent in Court over GH₵119,373.00 theft

Accra-Ghana, March 23, GNA – A 51-year-old agent of Alpha Lotto Company, who allegedly stole GH₵119,373.00 from the firm, has been put before an Accra Circuit Court.
Samuel Asante Arthur, who has been charged on eight counts of falsification of accounts and eight counts of stealing, has pleaded not guilty.
The Court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GH₵120,000.00 with four sureties.
The Court directed that all the sureties should be direct family members of the accused person.
Thee prosecution was also directed by the Court to file and serve all disclosures and witness statements.
The case has been adjourned to April 24, 2023.
Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, prosecuting, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Joseph Gyapong, who resided at Kokomlemle in Accra was a Lotto Agent of Alpha Lotto Company Limited, while the accused person was working under the supervision of the complainant.
The prosecution said the accused person was responsible for receiving lotto booklets or tickets from other lotto writers before the winning numbers were drawn, adding that the accused person also received winning tickets from customers and presented same to the Company for payment.
It said in April 2021, the accused person became indebted to many people and that his prospects to pay his indebtedness off was difficult.
The prosecution said from April to October 2021, the accused person took advantage of his office and falsified weekly statements of winning tickets of Alpha Lotto that came into his possession and succeeded in stealing a total of GH₵119, 373.00 belonging to the Company.
“During the annual accounting/financial period of the Company, a theft of an amount of GH₵119,373 was detected,” the prosecution said.
It said as a result, the accused person was subsequently audited during, which he admitted having taken the said amount by falsifying the accounts of the Company.
The prosecution said the accused person, therefore, refunded an amount of GH₵15, 000.00 to the complainant and pleaded for enough time to pay the remaining amount but failed to honor his promise and went into hiding.
It said on November 10, 2022, an official complaint was lodged by the complainant to Police and the accused person was subsequently arrested from his hideout at Labadi.
The prosecution said during investigation, the accused person admitted the offences in his caution statement.