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Court drops all charges against former UT Bank boss Kofi Amoabeng

By Mutala Yakubu
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Prince Kofi Amoabeng, the former Managing Director of defunct UT Bank has been discharged by an Accra Circuit Court.

ASP Emmanuel Nyamekye who is the Police Prosecutor on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, told the Circuit Court Judge, Emmanuel Essandoh, that the State intends to file a fresh case against Mr. Amoabeng at the High Court.

This development meant that the trail of Amoabeng at the Circuit Court will no longer be necessary.

READ ALSO: BoG speaks on UT Bank founder, Kofi Amoabeng, Beige Bank CEO, Mike Nyinaku's arrest

Judge Emmanuel Essandoh, obliged and discharged the accused person forthwith.

Background
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) received a report from Price Water Coopers through the Governor of Bank of Ghana into suspicious transactions relating to UT Bank. The UT Bank engaged in some off-balance-sheet transactions log issuing investment certificates to investors in the name of the bank.

However, this amount totaling GHc 51,334,387.08 and USD 8,612,829.33, were later transferred to UT Holdings.

It was disclosed that UT Bank issued an investment certificate in the name of the Bank although the amounts were never credited to the customer’s account but transferred to UT Holdings. It was also revealed that Prince Kofi Amoabeng then Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank signed most of the customers’ investment certificates and subsequently transferred to UT Holdings.

Investigations further revealed that the customers’ monies were with the UT Holdings.

Most of the investment with UT Bank was absorbed by Ghana Commercial Bank Limited as part of the takeover of UT Bank in 2017.

However, the rate of interest issued to each investor varied and was subject to negotiations.

It was also revealed that (15) transactions were identified in respect of (12) institutions whose funds sum up to GHc 51,334,387.08, and USD 8,612,829.33 all placed with UT Holdings.

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