Two before court for stealing GH¢110m from bank

Two individuals have been charged with stealing for allegedly logging into the system of CAL Bank through fraudulent means with the intention to steal over GH¢110 million.

The case of the two is before the Accra Circuit Court, barely a week after the same court granted 12 persons bail in the total sum of GH¢4.8 billion for allegedly hacking the systems of the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) to steal GH¢326 million.

The two are William Djedehard Anselme Boscaud Dieou, an Ivorian, and Wonder Kofi Klutse, who is currently on the run.

During his appearance before the court, Dieou pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to steal and was remanded in police custody to assist the police with investigations.

The remand order by the court followed a prayer by the Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr George Amegah, who explained that the investigations were still ongoing and the police needed Dieou’s assistance.

The hearing of the case continues on August 30, 2018 at the court presided over by Mrs Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye.

Employees’ credentials

DSP Amegah told the court that on July 3, 2018, officials of CAL Bank detected that various sums totalling GH¢110,610,000 had been debited from its internal accounts, but the first three transactions had been deleted from the bank’s system.

Investigations by the bank revealed that the debit was made after someone remotely logged onto the bank’s system by using the credentials of two of its employees.
The money debited from the bank’s internal account was transferred to a bank account with the name William Kurt Mensah.

“Police investigations revealed that GH¢84,991 was withdrawn by the account holder via ATM while another GH¢170,000 was transferred to six other bank accounts via GHIPSS instant transfer,” the prosecutor said.

Real identity

The prosecutor further said police intelligence led to the arrest of 12 people, including six individuals whose accounts were credited with the money from Kurt Mensah’s account.

According to DSP Amegah, investigations revealed that Dieou and Klutse were the ones behind the account and transfers, and that made the police arrest Dieou.

“Investigations revealed that the real identity of William Kurt Mensah was Dieou. Further investigations also showed that Dieou acquired an NHIS card with the name William Kurt Mensah to open the bank account,” he added.

Klutse, the prosecutor explained, was also the one who canvassed for other bank accounts to receive the online transfers from Dieou.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh