In a recent court ruling, two bank employees have been convicted of a fraud scheme that targeted dormant accounts, resulting in a loss of over R1 million.
The Gqeberha commercial crimes court found Florika Shenay Owusu, 29, and Abongile Tyusha, 28, guilty of fraud and money laundering.
According to W/O Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, spokesperson for the Hawks, Owusu, and Tyusha were working as consultants at Absa in Humansdorp between November 2019 and June 2021 when they committed the crime.
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As part of their responsibilities, they were tasked with issuing bank cards to clients and assisting them with their banking inquiries.
However, it was discovered that the accused had fraudulently opened bank accounts with the intention of transferring funds from dormant accounts belonging to various clients into their own fraudulent accounts.
They then proceeded to withdraw cash from these accounts in different areas, primarily in Hankey and its surroundings, for their personal gain.
The fraudulent transactions were conducted in multiple tranches, ultimately resulting in Absa suffering a loss of more than R1 million.
The bank became aware of the crime during an internal audit, which raised red flags and prompted the matter to be reported to the Hawks for further investigation.
The Hawks swiftly apprehended Owusu and Tyusha in July 2022, leading to their subsequent conviction.
The sentencing for the convicted bank employees has been scheduled for March 2024.
The court will determine the appropriate punishment for their fraudulent activities, which have not only caused financial harm to Absa but have also breached the trust of their clients.
