The Accra Circuit Court has charged a 25-year-old National Service Personnel, Jesper Kobina Mensah, with one count of stealing after he allegedly siphoned GH¢303,950 from a customer of Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd through unauthorised electronic transfers.
The charge, brought under Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as amended by NLCD 398, and Section 107 of the Electronic Transaction Act, 2008 (Act 772), was read in court on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, according to a report by The Chronicle.
Prosecutor DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye told the court that the case was first reported to the police by the bank’s Manager of Investigations, Genevieve Ama Gadikor, after a Ghanaian citizen residing in South Africa raised concerns about suspicious withdrawals from his account on July 15, 2025.
The victim discovered that funds amounting to GH¢303,950 had been transferred without his authorisation to several MTN Mobile Money accounts, including:
- 0598633019 – Name: Abraham Asiedu
- 0544116186 – Name: Stephen Eshun
- 0597564947 – Name: Fatau Sulley
Investigations led to the arrest of Fatau Sulley, identified as a Binance cryptocurrency merchant, on July 28, 2025. Sulley admitted receiving money via Mobile Money for cryptocurrency transactions but claimed he acted only as a middleman.
On August 28, 2025, police traced and arrested Mensah at his hideout in Nungua, Accra. A search at his residence uncovered evidence believed to be linked to cyber fraud, including:
- 9 mobile phones
- 2 laptops
- 108 registered Telecel SIM cards and 27 empty starter packs
- 72 registered MTN SIM cards and 88 empty starter packs
- Other assorted telecom equipment
Mensah reportedly admitted in his caution statement that he used two of the phone numbers tied to the fraudulent transactions. He also acknowledged receiving the funds but claimed he acted under the instructions of unidentified Chinese nationals, who directed him to convert the stolen money into USDT (a stablecoin) and transfer it via the Binance platform.
The case investigator, Detective Sergeant James Kwesi Turkson, confirmed that investigations are ongoing, particularly in tracing the alleged international accomplices.
Mensah pleaded not guilty to the charge. Presiding Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam denied him bail and remanded him into police custody pending further hearings.
