PHOTO: Alleged fake bank deposit slips
By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
PLEEBO, Liberia- A 45-years-old man, Patrick Doepoh has been incarcerated by the Liberia National Police here in southeastern Maryland County electoral district#2 for allegedly duping several parents, and walking away with 278,000 Liberian dollars.
The current exchange rate in the country ranges from 140-143 Liberian dollars to one United States dollar.
The suspect is said to have been working with the International Bank (IB) Liberia (Little in Monrovia for many years.
According to the victims, the incident occurred between the period August and October 2021 in the heat of registration.
Alleged fake bank deposit slips
Narrating their ordeals separately to the head of the criminal investigation division of the Liberia National Police in Pleebo, Rev. J. Flahn Nyemah, Sr., father of student Agnes K. Nyemah, a 7th-grade student of the Jasper Grant United Methodist High school said, he went at the International Bank (IB) to pay part of his daughter’s school fees on Saturday, November 30, 2021, when he met Suspect Patrick in the corridor of the bank.
He further explained that over time, he thought Suspect Patrick was one of the tellers at the bank so he hand-delivered his daughter’s school fees to the tune of LRD $8,000 for quick processing
“I have been seeing him for some time at this bank as one of the bank tellers ooooh but I never knew that he wasn’t a teller. But to my greatest surprise, I got to know that he wasn’t a teller at the bank until my daughter’s money that I gave him for processing wasn’t processed; instead, he took it away and presented a false bank slip,” said Mr. Nyemah.
He stressed that the act of the International Bank staff has caused him more expanses because the school is demanding the fees.
Philomena Sartee, another victim of the incident narrated that in November, during the morning hours, she went to the bank (IB) to register her daughter Jackie Musa with the slip and the amount of LRD10, 000 and when she got there, she stood in the queue, but while standing, she saw Suspect Patrick, whom she described as a kinsman and asked him to assist her with the registration process by depositing the fees.
“So I gave him the money and the slip and I left, the same day he went to the market and carried the return to me but to my surprise, the registrar of the St. Francis School told me that my daughter registration wasn’t processed,” she disclosed.
“I was shocked and couldn’t believe it because I trusted him very much until when I went to confirm it, I was told by the bank teller that nothing reflected on the slip.”
Madam Sartee added that upon hearing from the teller, she quickly called Suspect Patrick but his phone was switched off.
She notes that it was very shameful to have heard such information about the same suspect, knowing his track records as her kinsman from the same town.
“I hope the law will take its course because the information is very worrisome and confusing although I was asked to repay my daughter’s school fees, I am also cautious to know the end of this matter,” Madam Sartee added.
Similarly, Josephine Stall another victim of the school fee scam, explains that in October 2021, at noon hours she went to the bank (IB) to register her children Isaac Dweh, Jr, Lucy Wesseh, Francis Stall, and Esther Shannon, carrying a total amount of LRD30, 885.
She details that while standing in a queue inside the bank, she saw Suspect Patrick Doepoh, who impersonated as an employee of the bank asked him to help her with the registration process.
“So I gave him my children slips and monies for the registration in order for me to save time for other work.”
She also said that the next day Suspect Doepoh presented several bank slips with valid stamps on them but to her greatest surprise, the registrar from the school called, informing her that the children have not been registered.
Priscilla Sartial also mentioned that on October 8, 2021, during the morning hour, she went to the Bank to register her son Frederick Sartiah with the amount of LRD2, 000 but gave the bank slip to Ophelia, a cleaner in the bank to give it to Suspect Patrick Doepoh for processing.
“When I went back to get the slip the lady told me that she gave it to Suspect Patrick and he later brought the return slip to me and said it was processed but when I went to verify, I was told that my son didn’t register”, she explains.
On Monday, November 28,201, Police arrested suspect Patrick, who has allegedly admitted to commissioning the act.
“It is true that the students gave me their slips at the bank as I worked there as maintenance and supervisor for the friends of international Company when I received those slips instead of processing them through the tellers I don’t know what criminally came over me.”.
“I secretly entered into the Bank Manager’s Office, took his stamp and I stamped them and pocket the money. I received up to about LRD 278,000 but didn’t report it until I was caught by the bank manager,” he confessed.
Suspect Patrick has meanwhile, been charged with theft of property and misappropriation of entrusted funds, consistent with Section 15.50 and 15.51 of the Revised Penal Law of Liberia, and has been forwarded to the Pleebo Magisterial Court for trial.
The Management of the International Bank is yet to comment on the matter.