Woman arrested for stealing ¢800K mistakenly sent to her bank account

Just imagine you need money, and money just showed up in your account—no explanation, no warning. What would you do? Call the bank or start shopping.

A trader, Constance Gyasi Nimako, was remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court for stealing and laundering money mistakenly credited to her bank account.

Nimako, also known as Maa Adwoa, is alleged to have spent GH¢770,500 out of GH¢800,000 that was mistakenly transferred into her Ecobank account.

The money was meant for a business transaction by a company CEO, who accidentally input Nimako’s account number instead of his own.

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Instead of returning the money, Nimako reportedly transferred GH¢300,000 of the amount to her mother’s account at Fidelity Bank and GH¢400,000 to her own account at GCB Bank and withdrew GH¢70,500 in cash. When the banks tried to recall the funds, they found only GH¢29,778.47 left.

Nimako claimed the money came from a foreign company she’d never dealt with and insisted she had already used it to order goods. That is one way to explain a surprise windfall.

Now, to be fair, who among us hasn’t fantasized about this happening? A mystery balance appears… your rent’s paid, your wardrobe’s upgraded, and your ancestors are smiling.

But here’s the kicker: under Ghanaian law, spending mistakenly sent money is considered stealing. Even if the bank messed up, you’re not legally allowed to keep or touch it. Basically, finders are not keepers when it comes to six-figure deposits.

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According to officials, attempts were made to contact the woman before the full legal hammer came down. But Nimako allegedly insulted police officers and went into hiding. She was later arrested in Kumasi, while her mother, Cecilia Gyasi, was picked up in Accra. Both women have pleaded not guilty. Nimako faces charges of stealing and money laundering, while her mother is charged with abetment.

The presiding judge, Mrs. Susan Eduful, remanded Nimako due to the grave nature of the charge and concerns that she might not appear to stand trial. However, her mother, Cecilia Gyasi, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties, who must be immediate family members earning not less than GH¢2,000 monthly.

Social media is flooded with mixed reactions, some calling her a modern-day Robin Hood (minus the ‘give to the poor’ part), others wondering why anyone would assume a bank wouldn’t eventually notice that kind of clerical error.