Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, a 25-year-old contract employee of one of Ghana's biggest banks, has recently been arrested by security agencies for allegedly stealing approximately GH¢1.2 million from clients' bank accounts.
Among the accounts he pilfered are those belonging to a deceased judge and a former Inspector General of Police.
Afriyie is said to have transferred some of the stolen funds to his personal account in another bank, as well as to the accounts of his 17 collaborators across various banks and their mobile money accounts.
He is also accused of embarking on a spending spree with his loot including using some of the funds to purchase an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a Toyota Camry.
According to police investigation, the suspect had planned to escape with his girlfriend to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates after purchasing an airline ticket.
However, luck was not on his side as security authorities acted swiftly, leaving a trail that led to his arrest at Kotoka International Airport on June 4, 2023.
"On June 4, 2023, A1 together with his girlfriend Ivy Okertchiri, who stood as surety for him attempted to escape from the jurisdiction to Dubai, but he was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport by the Ghana Immigration Service and handed over to the police," facts of the case as quoted by a report by the Chronicle Newspaper said.
According to reports, Afriyie allegedly obtained his boss' password by discreetly recording her as she entered it on her mobile phone.
He then used the recorded clip to determine her password and proceeded to carry out the fraudulent transactions from customers' accounts over a two-month period.