By Our Reporter
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has launched investigations into the operations of Merlin–Gaming Ghana Limited and the involvement of Charles William Zwennes, Board Chairman of the Republic Bank and Eric Gbeho.
This comes days after a petition was filed at the CID headquarters by the Francis Tachie, Menson, and Peter Nkegbe, accusing Charles William Zwennes of stealing, fraudulent breach of Trust, Defrauding by false pretence and forgery of other documents.
A copy of the petition, intercepted indicates that Mr Zwennes and Gbeho have engaged in criminal and fraudulent activities of stealing, breaching of trust, defrauding by false pretences among others. They were accused of falsifying official documents of Merlin–Gaming Ghana to third parties for their personal benefits and dishonestly appropriating funds of the company to the tune of GH¢1,499,860.85. (One million four hundred and ninety nine thousand, eight hundred and sixty Ghana cedis, eighty five Ghana pesewas belonging to the company without the knowledge and consent of the company.
Giving the facts of the case, Peter Nkegbe, one of the shareholder who presented the petition at the CID headquarters said upon the incorporation of the company, the Board of Directors by a resolution appointed Charles William Zwennes to act as the solicitor to Merlin Gaming Ghana of which he validly accepted. Based on this he was in charge of all the correspondence of the company, including its emails, documents of incorporation, all contracts and those of its predecessor company.
According to Peter Nkegbe, without lawful authority from the Board of Directors and the shareholders of the company and their knowledge and instructions, Charles Zwennes, acting in connection with Eric Gbeho, on the 3rd of June 2014, wrote a letter to the branch manager of Stanbic Bank Ghana limited, Airport branch describing himself as a director of Merlin-Gaming Ghana limited and company secretary.
“In the said letter, Charles zwennes fraudulently served a notice on the branch manager of stanbic Bank that by virtue of his appointment he has been made the new signatory to the company’s account with stanbic bank. The purported resolution was signed by Eric Gbeho in a self-created position of Executive Chairman of the company whereas no such position exists in the company “, the petitioner noted.
“No such resolution was ever passed by the board of directors or shareholders appointing Charles zwennes or Eric Gbeho as company secretary or director or executive chairman or signatory to the bank accounts of the company. All the representations Charles William zwennes and Eric Gbeho made to those effect were made fraudulently and with mal fide intent towards the company.
Stay tuned for Supreme Court ruling on lawyer Zwennes which injuncts him from making further withdrawal from the company’s account.
