Salesman wanted for fraud

Page 44: March 10, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have mounted a search for the sales representative of OLAM Ghana Limited for the Central and Western regions, Sylvanus Sena Anyigba, for defrauding his employers of GH¢45,000.
It is believed that the amount involved could be more than what has been detected so far.
Sylvanus, 25, who was employed on November 20, 2007, is alleged to have collected money from customers of the company between December 2007 and February 10, 2008 and absconded thereafter.
A source at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that the suspect managed to convince clients of the company to settle their indebtedness through cash.
It said the normal mode of payment was for clients to issue cheques in the name of the company but Sylvanus, on assumption of duty, informed the clients that the company had changed the mode of payment from cheques to cash.
It said Sylvanus, after collecting the cash, then issued hand-written receipts to the clients.
According to the source, the company called for a meeting with all its sales representatives across the country in Accra on February 16, 2008 to discuss operational matters.
It said Sylvanus, who had earlier jumped bail in another theft case in Tema, failed to attend the meeting and efforts to contact him on his cell phone proved futile.
It said some of the company’s clients later called the head office to ask for stocks, complaining that they had not been able to contact Sylvanus.
The source said when an officer was sent to Takoradi to check on Sylvanus, the officer did not meet him and when t said officer contacted some clients to pay him, as they were indebted to the company, he was informed that they had settled their indebtedness to Sylvanus.
It said the company, therefore, reported the matter to the police to assist in apprehending Sylvanus, whom they believed could be hiding at Akatsi, Aflao, Ashaiman, Tema or Takoradi.
It said anyone with information should contact the Commercial Crime Unit at the CID Headquarters on 0244-206568 or 020-8765838.
The source said it was during initial investigations that it came to light that Sylvanus had also jumped bail in a case in which he was alleged to have stolen a cheque belonging to a member of staff of the Tema Oil Refinery last year.