A trader, Constance Gyasi Nimako, also known as Maa Adwoa, has been remanded into lawful custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing and laundering money mistakenly credited to her bank account.

Nimako is accused of spending GH¢770,500 out of GH¢800,000 that was erroneously transferred into her Ecobank account. She allegedly moved GH¢300,000 to her mother’s Fidelity Bank account, transferred GH¢400,000 to her own GCB Bank account, and withdrew GH¢70,500 in cash.

She has been charged with stealing and money laundering, while her mother, Cecilia Gyasi, faces a charge of abetment of crime, specifically money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty.

Presiding Judge Mrs Susan Eduful remanded Nimako into custody due to the serious nature of the charges and the concern that she may not appear to stand trial. However, Cecilia Gyasi was granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties, who must be immediate family members earning at least GH¢2,000 a month.

The case has been adjourned to July 7, 2025.

According to the prosecution, the complainant is the Chief Executive Officer of a company (name withheld), which holds a business account with Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) and a personal account with Ecobank Ghana.

On February 4, 2025, the complainant instructed the Manet Branch of CBG to transfer GH¢800,000 from the company’s account to his personal Ecobank account for a business transaction. However, he mistakenly provided Nimako’s Ecobank account number instead of his own.

The funds were transferred into Nimako’s account on February 6, 2025.

The error was discovered when the complainant followed up with CBG about the delay. Upon investigation, CBG contacted Ecobank to initiate a reversal but learned that by February 11, Nimako had already moved most of the money, leaving only GH¢29,778.47 in the account.

Efforts by both banks to retrieve the funds were unsuccessful, as Nimako reportedly refused to return the money.

The Head of Security and Investigations at CBG subsequently assisted the complainant in reporting the case to the police.

The prosecution said when police contacted Nimako, she refused to cooperate, insulted and cursed the officers, and later went into hiding. She was eventually arrested in Kumasi, while her mother was picked up in Accra.

Investigations revealed that Nimako had informed her mother about the money and instructed her to withdraw the GH¢300,000 transferred into her Fidelity Bank account.

During interrogation, Nimako claimed the funds were sent to her by a foreign company with whom she had no prior relationship. She also claimed to have used the money to order goods, which were yet to be delivered.

Prosecutors said investigations are ongoing to trace and recover the remaining funds.