The news over the mysterious disappearance of US$ 866, 580.00 and some L$10Million from the GT Bank’s accounts of a single client remains one of the staggering mysteries in the banking sector.
While reports of tampering, with clients’ accounts at various banking institutions has been an age-old challenge, several customers have alarmed over the alleged criminal attempts by some tellers to exploit their accounts.
To remedy the situation, there have been several criminal investigations, court indictments and sentencing of banks’ employees, and others, who were directly involved or associated with syndicates that resulted to the unlawful withdrawal of huge sum of money from clients’ accounts.
The latest alarm over an alleged tampering of account comes from Mr. Charles E. Sirleaf, the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), who recently filed a complaint against the Guarantee Trust Bank (GT Bank), alleging that some of its tellers without authorization withdrew over US$800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from his personal account. Deputy Governor Sirleaf also claimed that an additional L$10million was stolen from his account.
What is more interesting is that Mr. Sirleaf alleged that the illegal withdrawal from his accounts at the GT Bank was initiated by some tellers of the bank, disclosing that the unlawful transactions were done without his authorization.
But an independent investigation conducted by this paper has established that there were several transactions between Mr. Sirleaf (client) and his GT Bank Account’s officer (Andrea) at which time he frequently updated her about incoming transactions. Our investigation gathered that during the period under consideration, Mr. Sirleaf consistently communicated with his account’s officer at the GT Bank through the WhatsApp social media platform and during said period he would alert the (teller) about immediate banking transaction, and how he wanted her to fast-track the process.
Documents in our possession revealed that on May 2, 2017, Mr. Sirleaf provided a receipt of receiving an amount of US$167,000 using withdrawal slip numbered (174311); and that immediately following said withdrawal, an amount of US$65,000 was deposited in his children’s GT Bank’s Account titled (Jenelle & Berylene Sirleaf).
According to documents, on April 26, 2019, Mr. Sirleaf requested knowing how much was deposited and withdrawn (between December 31, 2018 to April 2019) via a WhatsApp message to his Account’s officer. In narration, the Account Officer informed Mr. Sirleaf that between the periods of 2016 to December 31, 2018, a total deposit of US$586,404.00 was made in his (2590 Account), and US$ 173,000.00 was withdrawn.
“The 2591 Account/Salary account, we received a total of US$154, 425.93 and withdrew US$134,500.00,” the account officer disclosed. Additionally, Sirleaf’s Account officer informed him that “for the LD 1590 Account, a total deposit of three million, eight hundred and ten thousand Liberian dollars (L$3,810.000) was made, as for the 1591 account/salary, we received a total of seven million, five hundred sixty-nine thousand, two hundred twelve & fifty-nine cents (L$7,569, 212.59).”
According to records, Sirleaf’s Account Officer also disclosed to him on April 29, 2019, through the same WhatsApp’s platform, that from January 2019 to April, he had withdrawn US$250,000.00 from the (2590) account/savings, while the total balance left for USD was US$207,600.00, and 11.3million left for the Liberian dollars account.
Later in June 2019, Mr. Sirleaf informed his Account Officer that he had sent one Varney, the manager of his company (Bojenele) to cash a check of US$10,000, while on July 30th, 2019, Sirleaf sent for encashment a check of US$3,150.00 in favor of one Benjamin Momolu.
In October 2019, according to our investigation, the Deputy CBL Governor consistently requested withdrawal from the bank. Record shows that he pressured the Account officer (Andrea) and said period to work around the system and produce whatever amount he had requested.
The investigation also unveiled that in early May 2019, Sirleaf himself withdrew one hundred thousand United States dollars (US$100,000.00) from the GT Bank Sinkor branch using his CBL identification card bearing ID number (#240). Prior, on April 13, 2019, records available showed that Charles E. Sirleaf withdrew US$50,000.00 from the same GT Bank Sinkor branch on similar ID.
Moreover, Sirleaf, 62 has told state security that his signature was forged by tellers of the bank during the reported transactions. However, GT-Bank has declined commenting on the matter indicating that the matter is being investigated.
What was also noticed during our investigation is the decision of Mr. Sirleaf requesting the bank to de-activate SMS alert and email until further notice. In a communiqué dated May 9, 2018, Sirleaf authorized the bank, with immediate effect, to remove his brother Robert Sirleaf as beneficiary to his account, and that, (Robert) be replaced by three names, he (Charles) submitted. It was in that communication that he (Charles) requested that the bank de-activates the regular SMS and Email Alerts until further notice.
Pundits have been wondering as to what prompted Mr. Sirleaf to de-activate such crucial security features on his GT Bank’s Accounts, especially that such protocol was designed to keep him updated with his account in the case of deposit and withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the LNP has confirmed that persons of interest are cooperating with the ongoing investigation, indicating that there are contentions with Sirleaf claiming that the writings on the withdrawal slips are far from his penmanship. A police source hinted that the bank has also been requested to submit the other specimen of Sirleaf’s signature since there are claims that he opened his accounts with two signatures. What is even confusing is the conflict about Charles’ signatures. Our investigation also noticed that Mr. Sirleaf has allegedly been operating with multiple signatures. Investigation continues. D. Webster Cassell writes.