Ghana Police Church accountant jailed for 2 years after losing GHC40,000 to Aviator betting game

A 32-year-old accountant, Edward Unicorn, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Adentan Circuit Court for misappropriating GHC40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church.

Unicorn, who admitted to the charge of stealing, explained to the court that he had used the funds for betting. He requested bail, expressing a desire to work and repay the stolen amount. Despite his explanation, the court proceeded with the sentencing.

Unicorn pleaded guilty but attempted to justify his actions during the hearing, which did not sway the court’s decision.

“I spent the money by playing Aviator (an online betting game). I staked it and never won. I was desperate to win but lost.

“I was addicted to Aviator, so my brother referred me to a doctor at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. I called him twice, and I never went to see him.

“I put in the GHC40,000 bits by bit. I was desperate to win,” he explained.

Chief Inspector Anim Darko, leading the prosecution, informed the Adentan Circuit Court that the complainant in the case is a police officer who also serves as the chaplain of the Ghana Police Church.

The accused, Edward Unicorn, had been employed by the church in June 2024 as its accountant. His responsibilities included collecting cash from ushers after church services, managing the church’s mobile money accounts, preparing payroll, and delivering monthly financial reports to the Financial Committee.

Due to his role, Unicorn had unrestricted access to the church’s mobile money platform and was in charge of monitoring the cash flow into the church’s accounts.

On August 17, 2024, around 7:00 PM, Unicorn left work with the church’s mobile money phone in his possession, which was later linked to the misappropriation of funds.

According to Chief Inspector Anim Darko, Edward Unicorn, after leaving work on August 17, 2024, met his friend, Wishwell Kofi Yorke, at Jerry’s Pub, where they had drinks. Following this, Unicorn hired two Nigerian prostitutes and continued the night’s revelry at the Purple Pub in Osu.

At the Purple Pub, Unicorn used the church’s mobile money account to make a GHC136 payment between 1:00 AM on August 17, 2024, and 7:22 AM the next day. Further investigations revealed that on August 18, 2024, he transferred GHC18,303 to Yorke’s mobile money account and GHC13,588 to his own account. All of this money was then used to gamble on Aviator, an online betting platform.

Realizing that his actions would soon be uncovered, Unicorn feigned a mental illness and was admitted to the Ghana Police Hospital. He was later referred to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where he received treatment and was subsequently discharged.

On August 19, 2024, the theft was detected by the church’s chaplain, who filed a complaint with the East Legon Police Station. Unicorn was arrested and held for further investigation.

A review of the church’s finances uncovered discrepancies dating back to July 2024. On July 14, GHC7,000 had been collected as offertory, but only GHC5,000 was deposited into the church’s account. Similarly, on July 21, GHC6,500 was collected, with just GHC6,000 being deposited. Unicorn also failed to account for an offertory of GHC3,143.50 collected on August 18, 2024. These financial irregularities led to his arrest and subsequent legal proceedings.