Trader remanded for spending GH¢800,000 mistakenly transferred to her account

BY Cobby Smart
June 23, 2025

Constance Gyasi Nimako, a trader also known as Maa Adwoa, has been remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing and laundering GH¢770,500 that was mistakenly credited to her Ecobank account. The funds were part of an erroneous transfer of GH¢800,000 made by a company CEO who intended to send the money to his personal Ecobank account for a business transaction.

The CEO had instructed Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) to transfer GH¢800,000 from his company’s account to his personal Ecobank account. However, the account number was incorrectly quoted, resulting in the funds being transferred to Nimako’s Ecobank account instead. When the error was discovered, CBG contacted Ecobank to recall the funds, but Nimako had already transferred GH¢300,000 to her mother’s Fidelity Bank account, GH¢400,000 to her GCB Bank account, and withdrawn GH¢70,500 in cash.

Nimako has been charged with stealing and money laundering, while her mother, Cecilia Gyasi, faces charges of abetment of crime to wit money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty. The presiding judge, Mrs. Susan Eduful, remanded Nimako due to the severity of the charges and concerns she might not appear for trial. However, Cecilia Gyasi was granted bail of GH¢500,000 with two sureties who must be immediate family members earning at least GH¢2,000 monthly.

The prosecution revealed that Nimako refused to cooperate with police, insulted officers, and went into hiding after being contacted. She was later arrested in Kumasi, while her mother was arrested in Accra. During interrogation, Nimako claimed the money was sent by a foreign company she had no prior dealings with, and that she had ordered goods with the funds. Investigations are ongoing to trace and recover the remaining amount. The case has been adjourned to July 7, 2025.