An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a former sales representative of the State Insurance Company (SIC) into police custody for allegedly stealing GH¢129,263 belonging to a client and the company’s Sika Plan Unit.
The accused, Richard Kwame Appiah, has been charged with two counts of stealing and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Presiding Judge Samuel Bright Acquah ordered that Appiah remain in custody and adjourned the case to January 19, 2023.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim, the complainants are trader Naomi Sakyi and the Manager of SIC’s Sika Plan Unit at the Makola Branch, Robert Asampong.
The court heard that Appiah, who worked as a sales representative, was responsible for collecting daily contributions from clients within the Accra Central Business District under the SIC Sika Plan savings policy.
Prosecutors alleged that he collected contributions totalling GH¢146,000 from Madam Sakyi, with the understanding that the accumulated amount would be paid to her upon the policy’s maturity.
However, the prosecution said Appiah paid only GH¢52,637 to the complainant and failed to account for the remaining funds.
When Madam Sakyi visited the SIC office to seek clarification, she was informed that the accused had abandoned his post on October 4, 2021, and that all attempts to trace him had been unsuccessful.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police by Madam Sakyi on October 15, 2021, while Mr Asampong lodged a separate complaint on November 9, 2021.
Further internal investigations by SIC, according to the prosecution, revealed that the accused had also failed to pay GH¢35,900 collected from clients into the company’s accounts.
Appiah was arrested on February 7, 2022. The prosecution told the court that he admitted the offence in his caution statement during police investigations.
The case has been adjourned for further proceedings.
