Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing $20 million (KSh2b) in fake currency found at a safe in Barclays Bank (BBK) Queensway branch, Nairobi, the Bank confirmed on Tuesday.
“A customer who holds a personal safe deposit box at our Queensway branch was this morning intercepted by police at the branch. Police are currently investigating the contents of his safe deposit box. We are assisting the authorities to investigate this matter fully,” said Barclays on Twitter.
A customer who holds a personal safe deposit box at our Queensway branch was this morning intercepted by police at the branch. Police are currently investigating the contents of his safe deposit box. We are assisting the authorities to investigate this matter fully.
— Absa Bank Kenya (@AbsaKenya) March 19, 2019
DCI boss George Kinoti said the fake currency was deposited in November 2017 with investigators questioning bank officials how the counterfeit dollars got through the bank’s system.
BBK in a subsequent update confirmed that the police have taken in the customer for further questioning. “The customer had concealed fake currency in his personal safe deposit box against the bank’s rules and regulations which include restrictions of items which can be held in the safe deposit box.”
The bank, however, added that “The contents of personal safe deposit boxes are not part of the bank’s deposits and are only known to the client.”
