Police mount big hunt for fraudster

Page 3: Daily Graphic, August 14, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have mounted a search for a man believed to be a member of an international syndicate that defrauded Citibank of the United Kingdom and one of the bank’s clients of £97,427,74.
The suspect is believed to have taken the identity of a client of the bank, Fungai Ruwende, to open an account with Amal Bank Ghana and then asked Citibank to transfer the said amount into the account in Ghana.
The suspect opened his Amal Bank account on April 22, 2009 with his name as Fungai Hillary Ruwende and P. O. Box KN 2126, Kaneshie and House No. C256, Abeka-Accra as his residential address.
The police believe the addresses both are fake.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that between June 3 and June 5, 2009, the wanted man succeeded in withdrawing almost the entire amount including GH¢15,000 on June 3, 2009; GH¢50,000, GH¢40,000 and GH¢18,000 on June 4, 2009 as well as GH¢31,000 and GH¢50,000 on June 5, 2009.
He said the syndicate is believed to have manipulated and intercepted the genuine Ruwende’s e-mail and were able to gain access to his account password and account security procedures.
He said a complaint from Citibank, London, indicated that the genuine Fungai Ruwende is a South African, who maintains an account with Citibank in London.
He said Ruwende is a resident in South Africa and periodically receives bank account statements and correspondence by post from Citibank.
Mr Adu-Poku said Citibank first received an e-mail on March 23, 2009, appearing to have come from the genuine Mr Ruwende, asking the bank to transfer £152,000 from his account to Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ Bank, Japan to be deposited in the account of a stated beneficiary.
According to him, the bank again received another e-mail request on April 23, 2009, appearing to have come from the genuine Mr Ruwende requesting that his account be closed and the balance of £97,426.74 standing to his credit in the account be transferred to an account in the name of “Fungai Ruwende” with Amalgamated Bank in Accra.
Mr Adu-Poku said the genuine Mr Ruwende, however, contacted Citibank on June 11, 2009 in writing disputing all the activity on his account “and claiming that the transfers were fraudulent and not authorised by him”.
Based on that, he said, Citibank contacted Amal Bank on June 18, 2009 requesting the status of the funds transferred to Amal Bank.
The CID boss said Amal Bank replied to the request of Citibank on June 24, 2009 and stated that a person claiming to be Fungai Ruwende was arrested on June 5, 2009 for “attempting to use dual identity in processing a transaction at one of Amal Bank’s business offices” and was being investigated by the Adabraka Police.
Mr Adu-Poku said Amal Bank also directed Citibank to write through the Bank of Ghana if it required further information.
He said Citibank then referred the matter to the CID to assist in apprehending the suspect.
He said a warrant of arrest had accordingly been issued by the Circuit Court in Accra to effect “Ruwende’s” arrest.
Mr Adu-Poku, therefore, appealed to any member of the public who had information on the whereabouts of the suspect to contact the nearest police station or the CID headquarters.
The Deputy Accra Regional Crime Officer, DSP Cuthbert Anpengnuo, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the Adabraka Police were looking for “Ruwende” to arrest him.