The Asamankese Circuit Court presided by His Honour Abubakari Abass Adams has convicted a mobile Banker with South Akim Rural bank to five years imprisonment for stealing Ghc115,114.00 belonging to customers of the bank.
The convict, Essah Gabriel Ansah,26, was found guilty on the charge of stealing contrary to section 124(1) of the criminal offenses act 1960,(Act 29).
The Prosecutor Chief Inspector Richard Adukpo told the court that the convict lives at Osenase and was an employee and Mobile Banker for South Akim Rural Bank assigned to Akwatia Zone in Denkyembuor District where he collects deposits of customers.
On May 6, 2021, a customer by name Ismaila Aliu Sulemana went to the Kade Branch of the bank to withdraw money from his account with his passbook but detected a Ghc28,000.00 shortfall on in his account.
The customer informed the Osenase branch manager about possible fraud. Preliminary investigation by the bank corroborated claims by the customer.
The convict admitted the offence and was handed over to the police for further investigation.
During Police investigation led Inspector Richard Adu Sarkodie, the accused admitted suppressing deposits of many other customers.
Internal audit was commissioned into monies collected by the convict which detected that the convict had suppressed and appropriated an amount of Hundred and Fifteen thousand, four hundred fourteen cedis (Ghc115,414.00).
The accused managed to refund a paltry Ghc2000.00.
He was therefore charged with the offence and put before court which he was found guilty and jailed accordingly.
Fraudulent activities involving staff of financial institutions are prevalent in Ghana.
A recent report by the Bank of Ghana on fraudulent activities in the banking sector revealed that more than half of incidents of criminal activity in 2020 was carried out with the help of staff, with a total value of reported cases hitting GH¢1bn for the first time.
According to the Banks’ & SDIs Fraud report, 56 percent of fraud incidents reported in 2020 indicated the involvement of staff members of the reporting institutions, as compared to 51 percent of staff involvement reported the previous year.
Source : Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
