THE Police at Takoradi has apprehended two workers of Consumer Finance Company (CFC) for allegedly defrauding over 90 teachers of several thousands Ghana cedis.
The two suspects, Alfred Quaye, 30, who claimed to be the Western Regional Manager of CFC and Daniel Agbesi, 27, an alleged sales consultant of the company are currently in the custody of the police pending further investigations.
Briefing DAILY GUIDE on how the alleged fraudsters were arrested, the Western Regional Police Commander, Mr. Hamidu Mahama, said during the month of July 2010, over 90 teachers and other public servants in the region, applied for loans from CFC at monthly deductions from their salaries for a year.
He said when the deductions commenced in August 2010, the victims realized from their pay slips that, the deductions continued for 24 months instead of 12 months as stated on the loan agreement form.
According to the Regional Police boss, the officials of the company altered the original agreement of a year’s deduction to two years on the agreement form and sent the form to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to effect the deductions at source without the knowledge of the clients.
He cited an instance where some teachers from Sekyere Hemang in the region applied for GH¢1,000.00 loan each from the company for repayment of GH¢117.66 at monthly deductions from their salaries for a period of 12 months.
Later, when the deductions started, they realized from their pay slips that the deductions were for 24 months instead of the 12 months stated on the loan agreement form.
Suspect Daniel Agbesi was alleged to have altered the forms. The complainants returned the loans to the suspect for the deductions to stop but Agbesi allegedly embezzled the money and the company continued deducting the monies from their salaries.
The case was therefore reported to the police and Agbesi was arrested. He then led the police to arrest Quaye, the regional manager of CFC.
According to the Regional Police Commander, more than 90 teachers from Axim and Daboase had fallen victim to the alleged fraud with varying deduction periods ranging between 24 and 36 months instead of the agreed period of 12 months.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi