By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – The Liberia National Police (LNP) has forwarded to court a Paynesville-based mobile money operator accused of unlawfully accessing and spending a large sum of money that was mistakenly deposited into his account due to a banking error.
The suspect, identified as Leroy Cooper, who operates Leroy Cooper Business Branch #3, has been charged with Theft of Property and Theft of Property Lost, Mislaid, or Delivered by Mistake following an investigation conducted by the LNP’s Property Crime Unit.
According to police findings, the case stems from a transaction error that reportedly occurred on June 1, 2026, involving a customer of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). Authorities said the customer intended to transfer L$250,000 to Cooper’s MTN Mobile Money account. However, during the transaction process, a bank employee allegedly entered the wrong currency and amount, resulting in a transfer of US$250,000 instead.
The mistake reportedly went unnoticed until bank officials conducted a routine reconciliation of accounts and discovered the discrepancy. By that time, investigators said, a portion of the funds had already been moved from the account.
Police allege that shortly after receiving the unexpected deposit, Cooper began transferring money to several other mobile money accounts and was able to withdraw approximately US$45,000 before intervention by financial institutions.
Investigators further claim that Cooper acknowledged realizing that the amount credited to his account far exceeded any transaction he was expecting to receive. Rather than notifying the bank or relevant authorities, police said he allegedly consulted family members and acquaintances before proceeding to transfer portions of the funds.
Upon discovering the error, UBA reportedly contacted MTN LoneStar Cell and requested immediate action. The telecommunications company subsequently froze the remaining balance, preventing additional withdrawals and limiting further losses.
The police investigation concluded that the bank teller responsible for processing the transaction made an unintentional mistake and that there was no evidence suggesting criminal conduct on the part of the employee. Authorities, however, determined that Cooper knowingly retained and utilized funds that were not rightfully his.
The matter has now been turned over to the courts for prosecution, where legal proceedings are expected to determine whether the allegations can be substantiated.
