Banker in court for siphoning C1.4 billion

Accra Sept. 5, GNA - A 35-year-old banker on Friday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for stealing 1.4 billion cedis belonging to the Social Security Bank (SSB).

Bernard Ofori, who is with the Information Technology Department of the Bank, pleaded not guilty to uttering forged documents and stealing.

The Court, presided over by Mr Willy Wise Kyeremeh, refused him bail and remanded him into prison custody to reappear on September 9. Remanding him, the Judge stated that he took into consideration continuing Police investigations into the matter but urged the Police to complete their investigations early as the liberty of the accused was at stake.

The facts as presented by Inspector Benette Sarfo are that on August 26, SSB detected that payment vouchers had been manipulated and figures had been inflated in the credit balances of some customers and monies totalling 1.4 billion cedis had been stolen from the Bank. The Prosecution said the Bank also detected that Ofori connived with some customers of the Bank, who were yet to be apprehended, and manipulated the Bank's computer software.

The accused also changed figures on payment vouchers. Figures to read 300,000 cedis were changed to read 30 million cedis while those to read 55,000 cedis were changed to read 55 million cedis.

Ofori admitted the offence and stated that he used the software for the database of the Bank to change the figures.

Police have also recovered six vehicles including two BMW cars, which he used part of the money to buy.

The Prosecution said the Bank also recovered 32.5 million cedis from the accused when he was arrested.