Ecobank employee arrested for US$53k transfer

An Ecobank Liberia employee Jamesetta D. Sumo and two other defendants have been arrested and turned over to the Criminal Court “C” after being indicted for operating an alleged “criminal enterprise” in which two of the bank’s employees allegedly transferred US$53,203.51 into two customers’ accounts for their personal uses.

As at Thursday, 1 June, defendant Sumo and two customers defendants Jeremiah Mansaray and Mohammed Fahnbulleh had been arrested, but the other Ecobank employee defendant Wilson Teah had not yet been arrested and brought under the jurisdiction of the Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.

In the indictment, prosecutors say while defendant Teah was in the employ of Ecobank as head of operations assigned at the Freeport of Monrovia Cash Center between June 2016 and February 2017, he “criminally” converted US$53,203.51 from Ecobank’s customer deposits to accounts held by his accomplices.

Further, the indictment claims that defendant Teah and Ecobank’s Freeport of Monrovia Cash Center supervisor defendant Sumo criminally conspired with defendants Mansaray and Fahnbulleh, using Sumo’s “secret Username” which she availed to Teah and fraudulently transferred depositors’ cash to accounts held by Mansaray and Fahnbulleh.

According to the indictment, defendant Teah posted eight transactions to Mansaray’s personal account, crediting the indictee with US$22,330.00. Following the deposits, Mansaray is said to have begun withdrawals at various dates and locations including Vai Town, S.D. Cooper Road and Total at Freeport, in the tune of US$15,525.27.

Defendant Mansaray was arrested while attempting to make further withdrawal of the remaining US$6,830.20.

Additionally, defendant Teah is said to have charged defendant Fahnbulleh’s account with US$37,755.88 between June 2016 and February 2017. Defendant Fahnbuleh is said to have withdrawn the money and shared with defendant Teah.

In the execution of the alleged criminal empire, the indictment says defendant Sumo “availed” to defendant Teah her secret username, enabling the syndicate to fraudulently have depositors’ cash transferred to Mansaray and Fahnbulleh’s accounts held at Ecobank.

By Winston W. Parley-edited by Othello B. Garblah