Unemployed man in court for spending GH¢17K credited to his account
The Accra Circuit Court has convicted an unemployed man for withdrawing and spending GH¢17,812 mistakenly credited to his bank account.
The 21-year-old convict Felix Kwame Akakpo was sentenced to pay a fine of GH¢1,800 or, in default, serve a 20-day jail term.
He initially declined to refund the money to the bank because, according to him, the “money was a gift from God”, but he later had a change of heart.
Akakpo admitted that what he did was wrong, adding that all those he used the money to assist had turned their back on him.
He then pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing.
State-owned GBCGhanaonline reported that the convict told the court his family was ready to assist him in refunding the money to the bank.
He prayed for the court presided over by Evelyn Asamoah to have mercy on him.
A lawyer who acted as a friend of the court implored the judge to hand down a non-custodial sentence as the accused was a first offender, and he had readily admitted his guilt and was ready to refund the money.
The trial judge granted the request and subsequently fined the accused. She urged the accused to refund the money to the complainant.
Facts of the case
The facts of the case read by Inspector Clemence Takyi were that the complainant, name withheld, is a banker, and she works with UBA Bank Ghana Limited.
The accused is unemployed and resides at Spintex, Accra.
On April 26, this year, the prosecution said the complainant, while on duty at the bank, mistakenly transferred an amount of GH¢17,812 to Fidelity Bank account number 2100406642414, belonging to the convict.
A few days after, the complainant detected the error and tried to reverse the transfer but was informed that the accused Akakpo had withdrawn the money.
According to the prosecution, when Akakpo was contacted on the phone to return the money, he declined with the explanation that “it is a gift from God”.
A report was then made to the police, which led to Akakpo’s arrest.
During investigations, the prosecution said Akakpo admitted the offence, but he could not account for the money.