Sex and love scandals involving Absa Bank Kenya employees and some of its clients have gone a notch higher after the death of one of its employees in the hands of a lover who is a colleague.
The development throws the bank into another fiasco amidst reports that some of its clients have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Reports have been doing rounds that an employee of the bank had allegedly fallen off the balcony following a night of partying and merry-making with his lover.
On August 16th, police officers revealed they were holding a 39-year-old woman in connection to the death of her lover.
This was revealed by Nyali sub-county police commander Daniel Masamba who said Pheny Kisasati is in police custody.
She will be in custody until investigations into circumstances under which his boyfriend Oscar Owino died after a night of merry-making.
“Investigations are ongoing and the suspect is in our custody awaiting the completion of investigations,” he said.
The bank had yet to reveal the death to the public.
The woman told police that the two had attended a party at Masai Beach Hotel where they took drinks and partied until late hours.
The report, booked under OB number 02/14/08/23 at Nyali police station, further indicates that the suspect excused herself and went to bed leaving the deceased on the balcony where he continued to drink alcohol.
“He took too long to come back and this prompted her to go check on him. However, she did not find him and decided to carry out a search in other rooms within the house in vain. Later she went downstairs and found the boyfriend lying dead,” read the police statement.
According to police, she raised the alarm where guards drawn from the Texas Alarm and neighbors responded.
“Necessary actions were taken, scene processed and the body removed to Pandaya Memorial mortuary awaiting to undergo post mortem exercise,” added the police report.
Our investigations have revealed that the two have previously worked together at Absa Digo branch before the man was posted to Moi Avenue Branch and the lady to Nkurumah branch.
They have been lovers for two years and are known for living lavishly with alcohol and sexy orgies always on the menu.
They are allegedly part of the staff that has been put on the spot for money laundering deals and the sharing of client information to third parties.
In July,a number of disgruntled and worried customers banking with the bank secretly petitioned the Central Bank of Kenya to make serious investigations on the bank which they claimed is still engaged in customer manipulation tricks and sharing of third party information.
The bank which is still embroiled in a compensation battle with transport firm New Mega Africa Ltd has been on the spot for breaching the banking regulations with some of the staff being accused of extortion and money laundering con games.
The Central Bank of Kenya which is the regulator of all banks and financial institutions in the country could now be forced to intervene with some of the customers who have lost faith in investigative agencies claiming their funds are in ‘suspect hands’.
Claims of staff at some of the branches in Mombasa demanding kickbacks to process payments have re-emerged just two weeks after we highlighted the story of how New Mega Afica Director David Abai fears that his life is in danger.
The petition to CBK and consequently to relevant national assembly parliamentary oversight committees could see some of the staff at Absa Mombasa and Nyali branches and others in the coastal region axed.
A source privy to ongoing investigations said that most of the Absa Nyali and Mombasa branches receive huge money through M-PESA and bank account transactions.
“It is worse, it is their daily routine,” the source said.
With the bank dealing mostly with multinationals and international firms, some of the clients have claimed that they have been blackmailed into deals they don’t agree with like sex for officers, lunch dates and late-night dinners for any deal transaction to happen.
The staff allegedly use the information they have on some of the biggest depositors like a source of money where they threaten and blackmail for a handsome settlement in the form of a bribe this mostly happens at the Nyali branch.
It is understood investigators have already made secret headways and have, according to our sources, gathered crucial information that links some of the Absa staff out of order.
A source who sought anonymity said that they have gathered everything and are ready for prosecution.
- The new development has been triggered by complaints by Mr. David Abai that some staff at the bank are after his life.
The director has since last year been living in fear because of the legal battles between his firm and the bank.
The bank is now fighting to auction New Mega Africa properties to offset a loan facility.
It all started in November 2022 when New Mega Africa Ltd sued Absa over the alleged disclosure of confidential information and data to third parties.
The Absa Nyali branch again was the one specifically mentioned.
The company demanded Sh 1.5 billion as compensation over the same and the case is still alive.
In the suit the company, which transports clinkers from Kenya to Tororo Uganda for the manufacture and processing of cement and other related products, accused the lender of financial sabotage and disclosing its financial statements to strangers without consent.
On December 14, 2022, Abai wrote to the Coast Regional Criminal Investigation officer over threats to his life and witness interference.
In the letter, he gave an account of how the firm got involved with Absa in 2022 and how things fell apart in 2021 when they suspected interference with their account.
According to further explanations in the letter, it is after serving the pleadings on the bank when witness interference started.
“Immediately upon serving the pleadings on the bank on or about October 5, 2022, one of the bank’s officers adversely mentioned in the case called one of the company’s witnesses with a view of inducing him to recant his evidence against the bank,” it reads in part.
According to Abai’s letter, it is after this that the company through its lawyers wrote to the bank and the two parties agreed to end the matter and only focus on the court case.
Leaked insider information shows how the bank officials have been meeting at late hours planning and discussing on how to do away with David Abai over the Sh1.5 billion compensation case.
The key suspect, a Makori who works at Nkrumah has never been suspended over the data breach allegations.
He is also linked to another case where a client was swindled Sh5m in a well-orchestrated plan that was overseen by the regional manager.
The two, apart from swindling money from clients are also facing serious accusations of sexual harassment from some of the female staff at Absa.
In May, investigative agencies had narrowed down on Absa Nyali branch over possible money laundering, and leaking of client data.
In Kenya, Commercial banks and mortgage finance institutions are licensed and regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Banking Act and the Regulations and Prudential Guidelines issued thereunder.
The Central Bank of Kenya is in various ways guided by the following pieces of legislation: Constitution of Kenya 2010, Central Bank of Kenya Act (2015), Banking Act (2015), Microfinance Act (2006),The National Payment System Act (2011), Kenya Deposit Insurance Act 2012