Lawyer for the embattled Director of Kessben Group of Companies, Ohene Gyan, has identified Stanbic Bank as their bankers in the transactions that led to the transfer of in excess of 120 million dollars out of the country.
This comes after the arrest of Kwabena Kesse popularly called Kessben on Monday, July 28 at around 10pm by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) for alleged fraud and money laundering.
One of his firms, the KESSBEN Shipping, Forwarding and Trading Limited which was set up in 2004 was allegedly used to facilitate the outward transfer of the money.
According to Lawyer Ohene Gyan, “KESSBEN Shipping, Forwarding and Trading Limited…for about eight years is involved in acting as agent for people and importers who import items from various destinations including China, Dubai and other countries”.
He stated that Stanbic bank was sanctioned by the Bank of Ghana to undertake the said transfers.
Mr. Gyan therefore expressed surprise that his client has been accused of money laundering because “the transactions are done through Stanbic and sanctioned also by Bank of Ghana.”
Meanwhile, Ohene Gyan says his client’s arrest on Monday and the subsequent refusal by the BNI to allow his client legal representation since his arrest is illegal.
He insisted that the BNI has gotten it all wrong, “if you want to arrest somebody, you will inform the person the reason why he is being arrested and then you will caution him that whatever he will say possibly may be used against him and that he is entitled to counsel or a lawyer and a lawyer should have access to the client.”
“These things have been breached in the first place and until the story came out from their end we even didn’t know that this is the reason why they arrested him,” he remarked.
According media reports, the BNI is coordinating with local and international partners and banks to unravel the case.
By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana