Two teachers charged with embezzlement

Two teachers at Nsuaem in the Western Region were on Monday granted two million cedis bail each by the Sekondi Community Tribunal when they appeared before it for embezzling project funds.

Ebenezer K.B. Baah, 54, and Nathaniel Webrah, 47, pleaded not guilty and they will re-appear on November 4. Prosecuting, Police inspector Joseph Hedidor, told the tribunal presided over by Mr Eric Baah that the complainant, Mr Joshua Ekow Armah, a lawyer and a native of Nsuaem returned home from London three years ago and decided to construct four boreholes for the Nsuaem community. He said during the same period the Wassa West District Assembly decided to construct five boreholes for the community and asked the community to contribute 650,000 cedis towards each borehole. Inspector Hedidor said Mr Armah offered to pay the community's contribution to the assembly.

He said after paying the amount, a committee known as water and sanitation committee was formed with Webrah, as the financial secretary and the first accused, Baah, who was the chairman of the area council, was made the secretary. Inspector Hedidor said Mr Armah deposited 3,250,000 cedis with the then Cooperative Bank at Tarkwa for the committee and the two accused persons were among five signatories to the account. He said the district assembly constructed four out of the five boreholes at a cost of 2,600,000 cedis and Mr Armah instructed the committee to leave the balance in the account for repairs on the boreholes in case there was a technical fault.

Inspector Hedidor said in May this year, the complainant discovered that 650,000 cedis together with an accrued interest of 178,000 cedis had been withdrawn from the account without authorisation from him. He said investigations found that the accused persons withdrew the money for purposes they could not explain. Inspector Hedidor added that investigations showed that Baah and Webrah withdrew additional 375,000 cedis and made use of it.