Two former Absa bank employees have been sentenced in the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for multiple counts of fraud, theft and money laundering.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Florika Shenay Owusu, 31, and Abongile Tyusha, 30, used their access to the bank’s electronic banking system to carry out fraudulent activities between November 2019 and June 2021.
“Owusu, initially stationed at the Patensie branch, and Tyusha, transferred to the Dutywa branch ... were entrusted with unique user codes, which the bank used to trace all transactions performed by its employees.
“They opened Absa accounts in the names of deceased individuals and foreign nationals without their knowledge.
“They issued debit cards for these accounts to facilitate the fraudulent transfers and withdrawals. They identified and reactivated 18 dormant accounts, mainly belonging to foreign passport holders, including deceased South African citizens,” Tyali said.
These reactivated accounts were then used to funnel stolen funds into the fraudulent accounts created by Owusu and Tyusha.
The stolen funds, totalling more than R1 million, were transferred to accounts controlled by the accused, and subsequently withdrawn or spent, Tyali said.
“The stolen amounts were distributed across various accounts, including those in the names of deceased individuals and one account belonging to a foreign national with an expired passport. Absa employees may not disclose any information without the client’s consent,” Tyali added.
Absa’s internal and police investigations led to the arrest of the two, who pleaded guilty during the trial.
State advocate Lise Keech argued that a guilty plea was not a sign of remorse and that the bank was the worst place to steal from as there was no other place people can keep their money safe.
The two were sentenced to five years for fraud and theft, and 10 years for money laundering, with four years suspended for five years on the condition that they do not violate the Prevention of Organised Crime Act during that time. The sentences will run concurrently.
Cape Times