Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), July 15, GNA - The Municipal Chief Executive and staff of Dormaa Municipal Assembly in Brong-Ahafo were surprised when it was detected that a staff of the Assembly's Accounts Department had stolen GH¢46,000 from the Assembly.

The prime suspect (name withheld) who is currently on the run is a student from University of Ghana and he commenced attachment with the Assembly in June this year.

Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that his office detected the fraud after a cheque he had issued earlier in the day bounced, compelling management to contact the Dormaa branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) to ascertain the reason. He said at the bank it was found that the suspect had used separate cheques, totalling GH¢ GH¢46,000 purported to have been endorsed by the Assembly for business.

Mr Asamoah said the suspect used a cheque to withdraw GH¢3,000 from the Assembly's internally-generated fund account and another cheque for GH¢43,000 from the Assembly's common fund.

Investigations also revealed that the suspect had forged the signature of the MCE, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Philip Baazeeng and the Municipal Finance Officer, Mr Kumah Abrefa, on the cheques he issued to hav= e the money transferred into his account at the Berekum branch of the bank. He said it was further detected that the suspect after being successfu= l in having GH¢25,000 of the amount transferred into his account at Berekum also concluded arrangements with the Dormaa branch of GCB to have the remaining GH¢21,000 transferred into his bank account in Accra.

Mr Asamoah said the Assembly had since notified the police and Ministr= y of Local Government about the fraud and every effort is being made to track down the suspect to retrieve the money for the Assembly.