NHIS Chief In Court For Stealing

The Scheme Manager of Adaklu Anyigbe Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Kpetoe in the Volta Region was on Thursday put before an Accra Financial Court for allegedly stealing GH�106,706.23. The accused person, Evans Raybon Anyadi, allegedly could not account for paid vouchers of the scheme amounting to the said sum. Anyadi was said to have also forged documents and raised vouchers for non-existent services without accounting for them. The accused person has been charged with 30 counts of stealing and seven counts of forgery. The accused pleaded not guilty. Justice Ajet-Nasam granted the accused person a GH�100,000 bail with two sureties, one to be justified, after his lawyer, in a submission for bail, stated that his client was ready to stand trial, among other things. Anthony Rexford Wiredu, Principal State Attorney, presenting the facts of the case, stated that the complainant Maxwell Addico is an auditor with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) headquarters, Accra. According to the prosecutor, Anyadi was responsible for the payment of all claims submitted by recognized service providers in the Kpetoe District. Mr. Wiredu stated that the service providers were St. Anthony Herbal Clinic, Deo Valente Chemical Shop, Steven Vuvor Chemical Shop, Hope Health Centre and Avedzi Community First Aid Centre. Others included Menyi Maternity Home, Ryte Aid Pharmacy, Catherine Atta, Miracle Life, Volta Regional Hospital, Municipal Hospital, Aggor D.K, Waya Health Centre, Wudzedeke CHIPS Zone and Ahunder Health Centre. The prosecutor narrated that between April 12 and 14, 2010, NHIA auditors conducted finance and operational audit of the scheme. The audit scope was for the period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Mr. Wiredu indicated that a thorough investigation conducted revealed that after the service providers had submitted their claims, the accused person caused payment vouchers to be raised and in all a total sum of GH�134,481.81 was collected with the view of paying the monies to the respective service providers. However, the accused allegedly paid GH�27.775.58, with a difference of GH�106,706.23, which he could not account for. He said in some instances he did not pay anything at all to the service providers. The accused person, the prosecutor further stated, was found to have forged some documents and raised vouchers in respect of non-existing service providers.