In order to prevent criminals from utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) to steal money from consumers' accounts, a judge has encouraged banks and other financial institutions to be more watchful. Mr. Isaac Addo underlined that these organizations must improve their ICT systems and regularly teach employees—particularly tellers—to carefully examine checks and other financial instruments before making payments.
The court emphasized that upholding the interests of depositors and shareholders was essential to preserving public confidence. The counsel was given as the court sentenced 35-year-old caterer and hairdresser Jessica Oforiwa to five years in prison for using forged checks to steal GH₵81,060 from GCB Bank customers in 2022.
Foriwa was found guilty on seven counts, including stealing and abetment of crime, and his sentences were served consecutively, according to the Graphic Election 2024 Results Portal. Her co-conspirators, Philip Ansah, Felix Mensah, Lawrence Quarshie, Fuseini Saeed Ibrahim, Mohammed Muktar, and Dawda Sawdido, are still at large. Oforiwa, a mother of two and a first-time offender, was sentenced by the court, which stressed that her acts were deliberate despite acknowledging her youth. Oforiwa was directly responsible for helping the other fugitives steal money from the bank.
ONLINE GRAPHIC search_graphic_online Advertisement for the Graphic Election 2024 Results Portal Press to become a member of the GraphicOnline WhatsApp News Channel. A woman was sentenced to five years in prison for using counterfeit checks to defraud GH₵81,060 from GCB Bank clients. A woman was sentenced to five years in prison for using counterfeit checks to defraud GH₵81,060 from GCB Bank clients. A woman was sentenced to five years in prison for using counterfeit checks to defraud GH₵81,060 from GCB Bank clients. GNA December 17, 2024, 08:02 Read for four minutes. In order to prevent criminals from utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) to steal money from consumers' accounts, a judge has encouraged banks and other financial institutions to be more watchful. Mr. Isaac Addo underlined that these organizations must improve their ICT systems and regularly train employees—particularly tellers—to carefully examine checks.
Camelot discovered that every duplicated check came from a checkbook that was issued to the Jesnat Cook Company, which was Oforiwaa's account. Oforiwaa and her associates were discovered to have chemically deleted the original customers' signatures and account information, giving the bank the impression that the checks were authentic. Significant amounts of money were taken out of the accounts by Oforiwaa's accomplices, according to investigations.
For instance, Dawda Sawdido took out GH₵4,700. On February 10th, 2022, Mohammed Muktar took out GH₵4,900 and GH₵4,800. GH₵5,000 was taken out by Fuseini Saeed Ibrahim on January 10, 2022.
On April 13, 2022, Felix Mensah withdrew GH₵47,460. On April 13, 2022, Lawrence Quarshie withdrew GH₵4,700 from the Achimota branch and GH₵5,000 from the Tantra Hill branch.
Additionally, on August 1, 2022, Philip Ansah withdrew GH₵4,700 via Livingston Ankomah, a prisoner currently housed in Nsawam. Oforiwaa and her associates were able to take out GH₵81,060 in total. The prosecution claimed that on August 1, 2022, Philip Ansah and Livingston Ankomah successfully withdrew GH₵4,700 from the Kaneshie Branch of GCB Bank using a forged check.
They then went to the bank's Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch and tried to take out another GHC 3,000 from the same account. After intelligence was obtained, their suspicious behavior resulted in their arrest. Following his arrest, Ankomah admitted to the crime, claiming that Philip Ansah had given him the checks and that he had paid Ansah the money that had been taken out. Later, Ankomah was imprisoned for his role in the crime. Oforiwaa was taken into custody by Kwahu Nkwatia Police on December 24, 2022.
She acknowledged during questioning that she had illegally taken out GH₵81,060 from the impacted accounts using the Jesnat Cook checks. Because he was the only person living with her at the time, Oforiwaa also implied that her lover, Samuel Gyane Nyanteh, might have been involved.
