Banker steals over GH¢1m from former IGP account.
Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, a 25-year-old banker, found himself in a troubling situation as he faced prosecution for a series of serious charges, including theft and conspiracy.
Emmanuel worked as a contract staff at the Osu Branch of Absa Bank, a position that granted him access to customers’ bank accounts and their hard-earned money. Unfortunately, he allegedly abused this trust by engaging in illicit activities.
According to The Chronicle newspaper, Emmanuel is accused of embezzling an astonishing amount of GH¢1,209,304.69 from various customers.
Among his victims were notable individuals, including the late Ernest Ako, a former Inspector General of Police, and Justice Anthony Kofi Adada, a retired High Court judge. However, they were not the only ones affected by his criminal activities.
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The report highlighted several other customers who fell prey to Emmanuel’s scheme. William Joe Frimpong, Rev. Theodore Baba Hackman, Esther Marian Hackman, Ekua Ewuduwa Dadzie, and Rev.
Cynthia Patricia Asamoah were named as additional victims. It appears that Emmanuel employed a clever strategy to carry out his fraudulent transactions.
He transferred funds from his victims’ accounts to multiple recipients, totaling up to 17 individuals.
Interestingly, one of the beneficiaries of these transfers was the girlfriend of his alleged accomplice, Cecil Nyamesem Agyarkwa. This detail implicates Cecil further in the scheme and raises questions about the extent of his involvement.
However, Emmanuel and Cecil were not the only ones facing charges. Richard Aikins, Michael Tweneboah Oppong, Fouad Mohammed, and Caleb Bandoh were also arraigned on similar counts of theft and conspiracy.
The gravity of Emmanuel’s offenses escalated as additional charges were brought against him. In addition to theft and conspiracy, he was accused of forging various documents and falsifying accounts.
This resulted in a total of 13 charges against him, reflecting the extensive nature of his alleged criminal activities.
During the court proceedings, bail was granted to all the accused persons, except for Emmanuel Afriyie, who remained in custody.
The court stipulated certain conditions for those released on bail, requiring them to report to the police twice a week until the next hearing.
This measure aimed to ensure their presence and cooperation throughout the ongoing investigation.
While the accused persons awaited their trial, the police continued their thorough investigation, diligently pursuing any leads and gathering evidence against all individuals involved in the crime orchestrated by Emmanuel Afriyie.
The authorities were determined to hold everyone accountable for their actions and uncover any possible connections or accomplices.
The court set the next hearing date for June 26, 2023, indicating that the legal process would continue to unfold in the near future.
Until then, the accused individuals, both those on bail and Emmanuel still in remand, would have to await further developments in their case and prepare for the subsequent court proceedings that would determine their fate.
