Farmer sentenced to four years for theft
Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, a 25-year-old contract employee at the Ghanaian Osu Branch of Absa Bank, is currently facing theft and conspiracy charges. He is accused of breaking into bank accounts belonging to consumers and stealing a total of GH1,209,304.69.
According to The Chronicle, Ernest Ako, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP), and Justice Anthony Kofi Adada, a deceased retired High Court judge, were among the victims of Emmanuel's illicit activities. William Joe Frimpong, Rev. Theodore Baba Hackman, Esther Marian Hackman, Ekua Ewuduwa Dadzie, and Rev. Cynthia Patricia Asamoah are among the other victims.
Emmanuel, who had only worked at the bank for 16 months, allegedly transferred the stolen funds to up to 17 different individuals. The recipient list included the fiancée of the second defendant, Cecil Nyamesem Agyarkwa.
In addition to Emmanuel and Cecil, four others were charged with theft and conspiracy: Richard Aikins, Michael Tweneboah Oppong, Fouad Mohammed, and Caleb Bandoh.
Additional allegations of forgery and falsification of accounts have been filed against the first defendant, Emmanuel Afriyie, bringing the total number of charges against him to 13.
The court has granted parole to all of the defendants with the exception of the initial defendant, who remains in remand custody. The parole conditions include a cash deposit of GH200,000 and two employed sureties earning a minimum of GH2,500 per month. The defendants released on parole must report to the police twice per week until the next court date.
The police are continuing their investigation into the alleged offenses committed by Emmanuel Afriyie and are pursuing additional suspects. The court is scheduled to reconvene for further proceedings on June 26, 2023.