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IRS manager testifies in 4 billion cedis receipt
falsification case
Accra, March 5 Ghanadot/GNA - Mr Kweku
Obeng, Internal Revenue service (IRS) District Manager for
Adum in Kumasi, on Wednesday told an Accra Fast Track High
Court that Mr Takyi Abiam, an IRS Cashier who was arrested
for falsifying the Service's receipts, has escaped.
He said the accused was investigated and put before court
and granted bail. Later the Attorney General ordered that he
should be used as a prosecution witness.
Mr Obeng was giving evidence in the trial of two employees
of the Kumasi Urban Roads Department (KURD) charged with
allegedly embezzling four billion cedis belonging to the
Department.
The case recently appeared at the sitting of Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) of Parliament, with the Attorney General
being asked to prosecute the accused persons.
The two, Nicholas Sakyi, an Accountant of the Department and
his Deputy Joseph Kofi Yeboah have been charged with three
counts of stealing.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been
admitted to bail of two billion cedis each with two sureties
to be justified.
Mr Obeng said sometime in 2004 when he asked Mr Abiam why
revenue submitted by KURD as Withholding Tax for contractors
was not forthcoming to the IRS he replied that it was
because the government had not released money to pay
contractors.
He said one day an official of the BNI came to his office to
report that a large sum of Withholding Tax had not been paid
to the IRS.
Mr Obeng said later he invited Mr Abiam to his regional
director to investigate the matter.
He said Mr Abiam brought three receipts and wanted to find
out whether they were genuine.
He said even though the serial number of the original
receipt and the book copy were the same the amount and the
name of the taxpayers were different.
Mr Atta Akyea, Counsel for Nicholas Sakyi, told the court
that it was rather Mr Abiam who should be surcharged for the
loss of revenue to government and not his client.
The case has been adjourned to March 31, this year.
GNA
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