Banker, two others granted bail in GH¢2m case
The Akwatia Branch Manager of GN Bank Ghana Limited and two others accused of stealing GH¢2 million from the bank have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Samuel Kwasi Kyei Darkwah and Salasie Awudi Solomon, an Estate Developer were admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢1 million each with three sureties each.
The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh ordered that two of the sureties of the accused persons should be justified while the other one should be a public servant earning not less than GH¢1500.00 a month.
The two, charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit stealing and stealing, have pleaded not guilty.
An accomplice Kenneth Obina, a Nigerian Buisnessman is said to be at large.
The accused persons are expected to re-appear on May 31.
The accused persons were admitted to bail following submissions by their respective lawyers who contended that their clients were Ghanaians who had fixed place of abode.
According to defence counsels, their clients would also not abscond but rather cooperate with the Police irrespective of their bail conditions.
Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Stephen A Adjoin earlier told the court that the complainant was the Manager of GN Bank in the Eastern Region.
In November last year, prosecution said Solomon in a Facebook chat with Darkwah introduced himself as a lady and the Chief Auditor and Head of International Remittance of Al Rayan Bank PLC in the United Kingdom.
In the course of the chat, ASP Adjei said Solomon proposed to the complainant that her customer one Harrison Forster had been shot dead while in Tripoli and left behind a fortune of $14.5 million in his account without a Next of Kin.
Solomon and Obina convinced Darkwah that they would give him the accounts details and also assist him with a solicitor to facilitate the acquisition of the estate of late Harrison Forster as his Next of Kin.
Solomon and Obina succeeded in convincing Darkwah who agreed to part with GH¢2,095,610.00 under the pretext of using the money to process the necessary documentation at British Royal Court of Justice which Solomon and Obina claimed would be used to collect $14.5 million.
Darkwah then took GH¢2,095,610.00 from GN Bank and transferred same to various accounts including Ecobank Kwabenya branch provided by Solomon.
On April 21, this year, Solomon received GH¢200,000.00 in his Ecobank account and managed to clear GH¢120,000.00 the following day.
Solomon, prosecution said was arrested when he attempted to withdraw the rest of the money. Obina who was with Solomon however escaped.
Darkwah in his statement to the Police indicated that he sent the money into the accounts provided by the accused persons however the monies transferred were taken from GN Bank, Akwatia without authority.
Solomon also told the Police that the money he received were payments for a land he allegedly sold to a person whose identity he had not been able to establish.
Source: GNA