An Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a bank official who allegedly abetted with a businessman to steal a whopping $550,000 from his employers.
The court ordered the arrest of a 33-year old former worker of a bank, Kelvin Kwesi Koomson, for failing to appear before the court when the matter was called.
This is as a result of Kelvin Kwesi Koomson and Kwabena Boadi Adakwah, a businessman and also an accomplice, being charged for collaborating to steal from the former’s employer.
Kwabena Boadi Adakwah, who appeared in court today, October 14, 2021 was granted a bail to the sum of GH¢3.5 million with three sureties to be justified.
This was after Adakwah, director of Links Field Ridge Reality Limited, pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.
Mr Lukman Ibrahim, an official at the head office of the Bank, in Accra, reported the matter to the police, the prosecution said. Kwabena Boadi Adakwah and Kelvin Kwesi Koomson were consequently charged of stealing.
The matter has been adjourned to October 26 by the court, presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, who also ordered the prosecutor to serve the accused with her disclosures.
On the fact sheet, Adakwah approached Koomson on January 7, 2016, at the banking hall and requested for bank guarantees to be issued on behalf of Links Field Ridge Reality Limited as a security for a credit facility.
According to the prosecution, Adakwah was requested to deposit a cash to the sum of $550,000 as collateral. He therefore, went to MET Capital Group Limited to seek for help, and the money was quickly transferred into his account on January 8, 2016.
The agreement entered was that, he will have to refund the money to the MET Capital Group Limited should the transaction for the credit facility fail or the bank guarantee expires.
The Prosecutor noted that when the transaction did not materialise, Adakwah secretly went to Koomson and with Koomson’s approval, the money was withdrawn, and shared among themselves.
However, the Prosecutor said, the Bank upon realising that the money had been withdrawn, summoned Koomson for interrogation, but he could not give any tangible reason for what had happened.
The plaintiff, upon sensing that his money was gone, reported the matter to the Adabraka Police station.
On November 28, 2019, Adakwah was arrested and during interrogation he mentioned Koomson and he was also picked up to assist with the investigations. Koomson was later granted bail, but has since failed to appear before the court which led to the judge issuing arrest warrant.
The incidence of bank of officials engaging in robbery is on the ascendency in the country in recent times. Recently, Kwesi Ofori, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Police Service Public Affairs Directorate revealed that a bank worker has been arrested in connection with the recent attacks on bank customers in the country after they withdraw huge sums of money. He further hinted that a lot of things happened after his arrest.
“Investigations are still ongoing and a bank worker was arrested. A bank worker, not necessarily a bank staff. We arrested him, and a lot has happened in that regard.”
Kwesi Ofori
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