An Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Edward Twum, has granted bail to Monica Gmanyindo and Matilda Donkor, setting the amount at GH₵100,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be justified.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
The two women are accused of conspiring to dishonestly appropriate allegedly resulting in a shortfall of GH₵ 418,372.46, the property of Sandbox Beach Club Limited by duplicating receipts on the club’s Point of Sale (POS) system, leading to inflated totals compared to actual payments.
Gmanyindo and Donkor face multiple charges, including:
Conspiracy to steal, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Multiple counts of stealing, also under Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act.
Conspiracy to launder money and money laundering, as outlined in the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
The prosecution has called his first witness Esi Okorewaa.
Case Overview
The prosecution told the court that, the complainant, Esi Okorewaa, is an accountant residing in Mamprobi. Gmanyindo is a cashier living in Ofankor, while Donkor is a cashier from Adenta.
In February 2022, during a routine sales reconciliation at Sandbox Beach Club, Okorewaa and her finance team discovered discrepancies between the sales recorded by the accused and the actual payments reflected in the club’s bank statements from February 15 to 21, 2022.
Initially, the shortfall was identified as GH₵9,498.00.
On February 23, 2022, Okorewaa reported the matter to the police, prompting an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Their inquiries revealed that the total estimated shortfall was significantly higher, at GH₵418,372.46.
Investigations indicated that Gmanyindo and Donkor printed duplicate POS receipts from previous customer payments to mask cash transactions from new customers, effectively pocketing the cash from the latter while falsifying records.
Gmanyindo also allegedly failed to log out of the POS system, allowing subsequent cashiers access to various receipts.
Both accused admitted to the offenses during police questioning.
They have now been charged and arraigned before the court for trial.
The case has been adjourned to November 15, 2024.
