Accountant Sentenced to Two Years for Stealing from Ghana Police Church

An Adentan Circuit Court has sentenced Edward Unicorn, a 32-year-old accountant, to two years in prison for stealing GH¢40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church. Unicorn, who was addicted to online betting, admitted to using the stolen money to wager bets on an online game called Aviator, losing the entire sum in the process.

During the trial, Unicorn pleaded guilty with an explanation, confessing that he was desperate to win back the money but failed. He also revealed that his gambling addiction led him to seek medical help, though he never followed through with treatment.

The presiding judge, Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, convicted him based on his plea and ordered him to pay GH¢5,000 in restitution, with an additional GH¢2,775 already retrieved to be returned to the Ghana Police Church.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Anim Darko, stated that Unicorn had been employed by the church as an accountant since June 2024. His responsibilities included managing cash collections from church offertories, overseeing the church’s mobile money accounts, preparing payroll, and generating financial reports.

Unicorn’s position gave him direct access to the church’s finances. On August 17, 2024, he took the church’s mobile money phone, went out for drinks with a friend, and later hired two prostitutes before heading to the Purple Pub in Osu, where he used GH¢136 from the church’s account.

Further investigations revealed that he transferred GH¢18,303 to his friend Wishwell Kofi Yorke’s mobile money account and GH¢13,588 to his personal account, all of which he used to place bets on the Aviator game. As the investigation into his actions progressed, Unicorn feigned a mental condition, receiving treatment at both the Ghana Police Hospital and the Accra Psychiatric Hospital before being discharged.

The theft was discovered on August 19, 2024, when the church’s chaplain, who also serves as the complainant, noticed discrepancies in the accounts and reported the matter to the East Legon Police. Upon further reconciliation, it was found that Unicorn had been siphoning offertory funds since July, depositing only part of the collections into the church’s account.

Unicorn was arrested and charged with theft following a police investigation, leading to his conviction and sentencing.