An accountant who dishonestly appropriated GHC40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church has been sentenced to two years in prison by an Adentan Circuit Court.
Edward Unicorn, 32, told the court that he used the money to wager bets and asked for the court to grant him bail to work and pay it off.
Unicorn was charged with stealing. He pleaded guilty with an explanation.
“I spent the money by playing Aviator (an online betting game). I staked it and never won. I was desperate to win but lost.
“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,” he explained.
The court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, convicted him on his own plea.
It directed that Unicorn’s should pay GHC5,000, and an amount of GHC2,775 retrieved from the accused be given to the Ghana Police Church.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Anim Darko, said the complainant is a police officer and the chaplain of the church.
It said Unicorn worked as the accountant for the church.
In June 2024, Unicorn was employed by the church.
He was responsible for the collection of cash from ushers who received the offertory in church.
Unicorn also oversaw the management of the church’s mobile money accounts, preparation of payroll, and monthly reports to the Financial Committee.
The prosecution said that because of the position he held at the church, he always had access to the church’s mobile money, enabling him to have direct control over the cash flow into the church account.
The court heard that on August 17, 2024, at about 1900 hours, Unicorn left work and carried the church Mobile Money phone with him.
According to the prosecution, Unicorn proceeded to Jerry’s Pub and met a friend, Wishwell Kofi Yorke, for a drink.
Unicorn then hired two Nigerian prostitutes, and then went to the Purple Pub in Osu to continue their fun.
The prosecution said Unicorn made a GHC136 payment from the church Momo account at the Purple Pub between 0100 hours on August 17, 2024, and 0722 hours on August 18, 2024.
Investigations found that on August 18, 2024, Unicorn deposited GHC18,303 to Wishwell Kofi Yorke’s Momo account and GHC13,588 to his personal Momo account, and used all of it to play Aviator, an online betting game.
The prosecutor said Unicorn, knowing he would be caught, pretended to have a mental condition, and was taken to the Ghana Police Hospital before being directed to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where he was treated and discharged.
It said that on August 19, 2024, the complainant detected the theft and lodged a complaint with the East Legon Police Station.
The court heard that Unicorn was arrested and remanded for further investigations.
The prosecution said that following the reconciliation of the church’s accounts, it was discovered that on July 14, 2024, only GHC5,000 of the GHC7,000 collected as offertory was deposited into its bank account.
Also, the prosecution said that on July 21, 2024, an offering of GHC6,500 was collected, but only GHC6,000 was deposited into the church’s account.
The prosecution said Unicorn failed to account for a second offertory of GHC3,143.50 collected on August 18, 2024.