In a recent development, a secretary employed at the Energy Ministry has been presented before the Accra Circuit Court over accusations of misappropriating an approximate sum of GH¢287,775.47 from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) through multiple unauthorized transactions conducted at the bank’s ATMs
Regina Abanga, a 44-year-old individual, is currently confronted with a total of 116 theft-related charges as per the court proceedings.
During the court session, Regina entered a plea of not guilty before Judge Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.
Subsequently, Mrs. Quarshie has granted the defendant bail, setting the bail amount at GH¢250,000 and stipulating the need for three sureties. One of the sureties is required to provide substantiation in the form of a landed property with an estimated value of GH¢125,000.
The court further decreed that the accused must make weekly appearances at the local police station.
According to official statements from the prosecutors, the complainant, Irene Akua Antwi, holds the position of Unit Head Officer of Business Operation at ADB’s central office in Accra, while Regina Abanga maintains an account at the bank’s Ridge Branch.
Legal documents reveal that over a period stretching from November 2022 to June 2023, the accused purportedly manipulated ADB ATMs stationed across various locations within Accra to execute illicit withdrawals, culminating in a cumulative total of GH¢287,775.47.
Prosecutors underlined that it was only on June 15 that these suspicious transactions came to light when Solomon Inkoom, an employee stationed at the bank’s Labone Branch, noticed aberrant withdrawals and promptly reported the anomaly to the complainant. In turn, Irene Akua Antwi informed ADB’s risk management team.
Consequently, the bank took swift action by invalidating the defendant’s ATM card to avert any further unauthorized withdrawals.
Events took a turn on June 16, 2023, when the accused made an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw funds from an ADB ATM located at the Ridge branch, resulting in the confiscation of the card.
In response, Regina visited the bank’s main hall to report the incident to the management. However, she was apprehended by the Risk Team and subsequently handed over to the Ministry’s Police.
Allegedly, the accused later admitted to the offense during interrogation. Moreover, she conceded to utilizing a portion of the misappropriated funds to acquire a Toyota Vitz vehicle with the license plate number GE-3545 -21, as well as funding the ongoing construction of a 3-story building, currently reaching the fifth floor.
