2 In big trouble over uniBank cash

The Special Investigative Team (SIT) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a former Chief Operating Officer of the defunct uniBank, Mr Ekow Nyarko Dadzie-Daniels, for allegedly collecting GH¢28 million from customers of the bank, ostensibly for fixed deposit investments with the bank.

The police are also on a manhunt for a former Executive Director of the defunct bank, Mr Owusu Ansere Awere, for allegedly unilaterally transfering shares valued at GH¢57 million purchased by the bank in WAICA Re, a West African reinsurance company with the head office in Sierra Leone, to HODA Holdings in June 2017. 

A notice signed by the team leader of SIT, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Edward Tabiri, stated: “Mr Dadzie-Daniels is to assist the SIT with investigations in respect of over GH¢28 million he collected in his capacity as the Chief Operating Officer of the erstwhile uniBank.”

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Police notice                          

On Awere, the notice said: “Mr Awere is alleged to have acted in his capacity as an Executive Director, leading to a situation where uniBank had no value for the above investment.”

It further requested anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mr Awere to report to the nearest police station. 

The Bank of Ghana (BoG), in August 2018, revoked the licence of uniBank for breaching cash reserve requirements and allegedly engaging in dubious transactions by the shareholders.

The defunct bank had over 800 workers in various branches spread across the country before it was acquired by the Consolidated Bank.

 In November last year, Mr Kwame Osei Yeboah, a Relationship Officer of the defunct bank who was also accused of illegally transferring GH¢11.2 million of depositors’ money to some microfinance companies, was remanded in police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.

Another fraud

Mr Yeboah was allegedly assisted by Ms Rita Agyekumwaa Mpiani, a former employee of the Unicredit Savings and Loans Company, to forge the signature of a customer called Adwoa Konadu to withdraw money from the victim’s account.

 Among corporate governance issues, the licence of uniBank was revoked by the BoG for giving out amounts totalling GH¢1.6 billion to shareholders and related parties in the form of loans and advances without due process and in breach of relevant provisions of Act 930.