GH¢100,000 bounty placed on ex-bank manager over alleged GH¢33m fraud
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has launched a nationwide manhunt for a former bank official accused of orchestrating one of the biggest internal fraud cases in recent years, involving the theft of more than GH¢33 million from Ecobank Ghana.
The suspect, Akwasi Agyemang-Abebrese, who until his disappearance was the Customer Service Manager at Ecobank’s Kumasi branch, is wanted for the offences of stealing and money laundering. EOCO has announced a GH¢100,000 cash reward for anyone who provides credible information leading to his arrest.
According to confidential audit findings cited by EOCO, “a total of GH¢33,384,494.00 was stolen by Akwasi Agyemang-Abebrese.” The alleged fraudulent activities, which spanned from November 2023 to February 2025, involved the diversion of funds from the bank’s internal accounts and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Postgraduate Student Hostel account.
Ecobank’s petition to EOCO detailed how Agyemang-Abebrese “debited both internal accounts and KNUST accounts” and transferred the stolen funds into his personal bank account. Investigators discovered that approximately GH¢4.85 million was taken directly from the student hostel’s account.
Further internal investigations uncovered a network of staff involvement. The report identified several employees described as “inputters,” who allegedly processed 61 suspicious transactions amounting to GH¢29.7 million. However, according to the bank, “all the transactions were authorized by Akwasi Agyemang-Abebrese.”
The fugitive’s disappearance was first documented in a March 7, 2025 letter, which stated that he vanished after being asked to produce documents related to questionable transfers. “Akwasi, in the bid of searching for the source documents, left the branch without the knowledge of the Branch Manager or any staff,” the report noted. “All efforts to reach him have proven futile as his phone is switched off.”
EOCO has since declared him wanted and issued a public appeal for assistance. The agency said the GH¢100,000 reward will be paid to anyone who provides reliable information leading to his capture.
Members of the public with information are urged to contact the EOCO Head Office on Barnes Road, Accra, any of its regional offices, the nearest police station, or call 0256957742 or 0579709066.
Authorities say the manhunt remains active and have described the case as a matter of “urgent national interest.”