A contract staff member of a major bank in Ghana has been apprehended by security agencies for allegedly embezzling nearly GH¢1.2 million from customers' bank accounts.
The accused individual, identified as 25-year-old Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, spent two months carrying out illicit transactions at a branch located in Osu, Accra.
Among the victims of the alleged theft were a former Inspector General of Police and a deceased judge. Reportedly, the stolen funds were utilized for various purposes, including the purchase of luxury items such as an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a Toyota Camry.
The accused also transferred portions of the stolen money to his own account at another bank, as well as to the accounts of 17 accomplices across different banks and mobile money platforms.
Furthermore, the accused had planned to flee to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with his girlfriend, having purchased an aeroplane ticket.
However, the security agencies promptly intervened, tracking him down and effecting his arrest at Kotoka International Airport on June 4, 2023.
Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, along with some of his accomplices, has been arraigned before the court. While his accomplices were granted bail, he has been remanded in custody.
The accused is currently facing charges of theft, conspiracy, forgery of documents, and falsification of accounts, bringing the total charges against him to 13. Meanwhile, eleven other suspected accomplices remain at large.
The police investigation has revealed that the accused allegedly obtained his boss's password secretly, using a mobile phone to record her entering the password and later watching the footage to gain access.
With this information, he proceeded to transfer the funds from customers' accounts over a two-month period.
According to the head of Fraud Detection and Operations at the bank, the accused individual, a resident of Labone, had been employed as a contract staff member since February 2022.
His position as a Processing Officer involved responsibilities such as loan processing, T-bill processing, debit card processing, dormant account activation, and customer account maintenance.
The fraudulent activities came to light when the accused made an unauthorized payment for an online coding course using a customer's Visa card.
Upon discovering this transaction, the bank officials grew suspicious and began investigating the accused in other areas.
Subsequently, they detected further unauthorized access and transfers made by the accused, leading to subsequent criminal charges.
The investigation has thus far uncovered a total theft amount of GH¢1,209,304.69 from customers' accounts during the period between April and May 2023.
The police continue their efforts to apprehend the remaining accused individuals and recover the proceeds of the crime. The accused is scheduled to appear before the court presided over by Judge Ellen Ofei-Ayeh on June 16, 2023.
