An accountant who was found guilty of misappropriating GHC40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by the Adentan Circuit Court, in a ruling that aims to uphold accountability and integrity.
Edward Unicorn, 32, admitted to stealing and explained that he used the funds for gambling, requesting the court to consider granting him bail so he could work and repay the amount.
“I spent the money by playing Aviator (an online betting game). I staked it and never won. I was desperate to win but lost.
“I was addicted to Aviator, so my brother referred me to a doctor at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. I called him twice and I never went to see him.
“I put in the GHC40,000 bit by bit. I was desperate to win,” he explained.
The Adentan Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, found Edward Unicorn guilty based on his own admission.
The court ordered Unicorn to pay a fine of GHC5,000 and restitution of GHC2,775, which was recovered from him, to the Ghana Police Church.
In June 2024, Edward Unicorn was hired by the Ghana Police Church as its accountant, tasked with collecting offerings, managing mobile money accounts, preparing payroll, and submitting monthly financial reports to the Financial Committee.
His role granted him unrestricted access to church funds, allowing him to control and manipulate the church’s cash flow.
According to the prosecution, Edward Unicorn took the church’s Mobile Money phone when he left work on August 17, 2024.
He spent the evening socializing with Wishwell Kofi Yorke at Jerry’s Pub, hired Nigerian prostitutes, and continued to the Purple Pub. Between 1:00 am and 7:22 am the next day, Unicorn allegedly used the church’s account to make GHC136 in personal payments.
Further investigation revealed that on August 18, 2024, Edward Unicorn transferred GHC18,303 to Wishwell Kofi Yorke’s mobile money account and GHC13,588 to his own account, using the funds to play Aviator, an online betting game.
When confronted, Unicorn feigned mental illness and was hospitalized at the Ghana Police Hospital and later the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where he received treatment and was discharged.
However, on August 19, 2024, the theft was discovered, and the complainant filed a report at the East Legon Police Station, leading to Unicorn’s arrest and remand for further investigation.
According to the prosecution, a review of the church’s accounts revealed discrepancies in offertory deposits.
On July 14, 2024, only GHC5,000 of the GHC7,000 collected as offertory was deposited into the church’s bank account, leaving a shortfall of GHC2,000. Similarly, on July 21, 2024, GHC6,000 was deposited, but the collection was GHC6,500, resulting in a GHC500 discrepancy.
Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that Edward Unicorn failed to account for a second offertory of GHC3,143.50 collected on August 18, 2024.
These discrepancies were uncovered during the church’s account reconciliation, prompting further investigation into Unicorn’s handling of church funds.
