GCB duped GhC 3million

A private security man has been arrested for allegedly duplicating the key of an automated teller machine belonging to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and stealing more than GHc 3 million.

Also arrested is an employee of the bank whose name was only given as Dawohoso, the official responsible for putting money into the ATM.

The security man, Osei Baafo Owusu who was attached to the Market Circle branch of the GBC in Takoradi, is said to have stolen the money between October 2012 and February 2013 without being found out.

Owusu 29 an employee of Thomas Security was put before the Takoradi Circuit Court Blast Friday and remanded in police custody to reappear on Friday, May 10, 2013.

According to the police, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime after he had been arrested by the Takoradi District Police Command.

Owusu claimed to have used the money to buy eight vehicles for commercial purposes and private und engagements.

The police explained that, the suspect took advantage of his assignments at the bank to duplicate the key.

Owusu is said to have broken the electronic code system to gain access to the ATM and the cash.

The police further stated that, the suspect claimed to have duplicated the key to the ATM door but a second door to the ATM was never locked.

He indicated that after the close of the day’s business, the keys to the banking hall was left with the security on duty to be lodged with the police and that made it easy for him to operate when he was on night duty.

Meanwhile an official of the bank indicated that the bank observed irregularities in the functioning of the ATM and was puzzled as to how the amount loaded in the machine could reduce that much, particularly so as the transactions recorded by the machine did not reflect the reduction.

According to him, the ATM system allowed for a standard card holder to withdraw between GhC 800 and GhC 1,500 and a gold Master card holder to withdraw up to GhC 3,000.

He indicated that it didn’t make sense that bigger sums than were permissible were being recorded and worse still the deductions were not debited to any known account.

He added that, the private security personnel at the banking hall were engaged in other activities instead of focusing on their core duties of providing security.

“They handle things, load cash in the cassette sometimes, count bulk cash and help customers fill their pay-in or withdrawal forms which are not the job of the security in the hall” he said.



Source: Daily Graphic