Accra, June 9, GNA - Marketing Manager of Apex Security Services Limited (ASSL), a private security company at Caprice, Accra, on Thursday

appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for alleged stealing and defraudin g the company. Agrobesa Maxwell Asem, aka Max 32, pleaded not guilty to 31 counts o f stealing and defrauding by false pretences. The court presided over by Mrs Patience Mills-Tetteh remanded the accused into police custody to re-appear on June 23. Counsel for the accused, Mr Noah Assamani prayed the court to admit his client to bail since he is first offender but the court declined. Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Margaret Awuni said

sometime in June 2008, the accused was employed by management of ASSL as marketing manager in-charge of contracts. ASP Awuni said the complainant; Ms Dora Ofori Boadoo, Managing Direc tor of ASSL went to a branch of NIB in Accra to withdraw some money and was t old that someone had withdrawn the money in her name. Prosecution said the complainant became suspicious and requested for

her statement of account and realised that several cheques had been cashe d without her knowledge. She said during further investigations, it was realised that 13 leaflets of NIB cheque and a Pro-credit bank leaflet, totalling GH¢4,84 5 had been stolen. ASP Awuni said the complainant and one Seth Ampomah were signatories to the accounts but due to time constraints, complainant signed her portion on several leaflets in order to speed up business transactions. She said because of the nature of the company's work, the accused ha d access to the complainant's office where he stole the cheque leaflets and

forged the signature of Ampomah. ASP Awuni said the accused used various means to drain the company b y pretending to have obtained contract from Northern Region Office of VODAF ONE and demanded GH¢600 for the contract which was false. The prosecution said sometime in September, last year, the accused pretended to be one Oduro of Anglo Gold Obuasi awarding the company a contract and demanded GH¢10,000 but was also false. She said in January this year, accused called the management on phon e that he had secured a contract and demanded GH¢6,800. The prosecution said management became suspicious and reported the matter to the police who arrested the accused purported to be the person awarding the contract to the company. She said during interrogation, accused admitted the offence and said he had purchased a taxi with some of the money.