Busted: Two Absa bank employees sentenced for fraud, multiple charges

• Two former Absa Group employees have been found guilty and convicted on multiple charges, including money laundering
• The activities spanning 19 months, from November 2019 to June 2021, amounted to fraudulent earnings of over R1 million
• The pair entered a guilty plea and, after being found guilty on all charges, received an effective 10 years imprisonment

Two former Absa workers have exchanged their work suits for correctional services uniforms after being convicted and jailed for multiple charges. Images: Wavebreakmedia and boonchai wedmakawand Source: Getty Images

GQEBERHA — Two Absa employees have been convicted of a laundry list of crimes, proving that ill-gotten gains are a sure way to get a one-way ticket to prison.

Florika Owusu and Abongile Tyusha, former employees of Absa Group, were found guilty on Tuesday, 2 July, of operating a fraudulent scheme totalling over R1 million.

Absa employees' fraudulent scheme

The Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes court threw the book at the pair, sentencing them on multiple counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering.

Owusu, 31, and Tyusha, 30, received a five-year jail term on fraud and theft charges, while each received 10 years imprisonment for money laundering.

The court suspended four years from the 10-year sentence on the condition that they did not violate the Organised Crime Act for five years.

The court further ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Eastern Cape regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the crimes spanned 19 months, from November 2019 to June 2021.

"Owusu, initially stationed at the Patensie branch, and Tyusha, who transferred to the Dutywa branch, used their access to the Absa electronic banking system to carry out fraudulent activities," Tyali said.

"They were entrusted with unique user codes, which the bank used to trace all transactions performed by its employees. They opened Absa accounts using the names of deceased individuals and foreign nationals without their knowledge."

Tyali said Owusu and Tyusha issued debit cards to the accounts to facilitate fraudulent transfers and withdrawals.

"They identified and reactivated 18 dormant accounts, mostly belonging to foreign nationals and deceased locals. They then funnelled the stolen funds into the reactivated and fraudulent accounts," he said.

Absa's internal investigation and a further probe by the South African Police Service (Saps) led to the pair's arrest.

Owusu and Tyusha both entered a guilty plea before their trial commenced.

State Advocate Lise Keech argued that a guilty plea is not a sign of remorse and that the bank was the worst place to steal from because it was the only place where people could keep their money safe.

"The NPA prioritises the prosecution of crime types and criminals that disproportionately undermine South Africans' safety, the country's socio-economic well-being, and the rule of law," Tyali added.