Former ABSA Bank staff jailed 10 years for stealing GHS1.2 million

Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, a formal contractual staff member of the ABSA Bank has been jailed ten years in prison by the High Court in Accra for stealing GHS1.2 million from the account of customers.

The verdict by the High Court in Accra was delivered on Tuesday, convicting a 25 year old staff on counts of stealing, fraudulent electronic fund transfer, unauthorized interfering with electronic records and money laundering.

Justice Ruby Aryeetey, the Presiding Judge, explained how Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie took advantage of his  role to manipulate customers Visa card data, purposely diverting funds between March and June 2023. His fraudulent activities were brought to light when the Kotoka International Airport authorities halted him and his girlfriend, Cecil Nyamesem Agyarkwa on the 4th June, 2023 when they were leaving Ghana for Dubai.

25 years old at the time of the offense in 2023, Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie who is now 27 years of age refused to admit guilt and the matter went through a full trial afterwards he was found guilty.

Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie was sentenced to five years for fraudulent electronic fund transfer in breach of  Section 122 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772), and received a ten year sentence on seven charges of stealing in breach of Section 107(a) of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772).

He was again sentenced to five years on six charges of Unauthorized Tampering with Electronic Records in breach of Section 125 of the Electronic Transactionsii Act, 2008 (Act 772), and five years each on charges of Money Laundering in breach of Section 1(2)(a)(i) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).

While he received non current sentences totaling 25 years across four charges, the Presiding Judge, Justice Aryeetey, ordered the term to run concurrent sentencing limiting his imprisonment to a maximum of ten years with a hard labor.

Emmanuel Afriyie’s girlfriend, co- accused Cecil Nyamesem Agyarkwa, a 22 year old student who was also charged with conspiracy to steal was freed after prosecutors were unsuccessful to prove claims of her involvement.

As Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie starts his term at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, the caves continue to mystify about how accountability are dealt with in Ghana’s digitizing banking sector.