I’m ready to admit I stole GH¢580,000 – Accountant begs after 2-week remand

The embattled Accountant of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) who has been in incarceration for a fortnight now has expressed his readiness to plead guilty to stealing from his earlier stance.

Mr. Osman Jamal-Deen who is facing charges of Stealing and forgery prior to Tuesday, June 8 hearing at a Tamale High Court Presided over by His Lordship Richard Kogyapwa, had pleaded not guilty.

He is however prepared to change his plea if the prosecution is ready to agree to his terms to pay back the stolen money and pay reparation to the state.

A formal application in this regard has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

Under section 35 of the Courts Act, he is allowed to plead guilty, pay the amount involved and then pay additional money as reparation or compensation to the state.

Remanded

Meanwhile, he has been remanded into prison custody to reappear on June 21, 2021 after a bail request by his lawyer, Douglas Kwame Adjei was turned down.

In view of this, he will spend an additional two weeks in custody awaiting an outcome on his request forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department.

Background

Mr. Osman Jamal-Deen reportedly forged the signature of the Medical Superintendent of the facility and issued NIB cheques to the tune of GH¢580,288.17.

A face value of the numerous cheques reveals a staggering amount of GH¢336,599.17 stolen from the Buipe Internally Generated Drug Account with the Tamale Main Branch of NIB.

The Medical Superintendent of the facility detected the crime, reported it to the Regional Director and then got the suspect arrested.

The Ghana Health Service then set up a fact-finding committee that audited the embattled accountant and corroborated findings; followed by a disciplinary committee that was set to take him through disciplinary proceedings.