A former G4S security guard has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison after impersonating a cash collection officer and fraudulently obtaining £117,200 from a Santander branch in south London.
Kwabena Kissi, 40, carried out the deception on July 5, 2022, at a Santander bank in Brixton by wearing an old G4S uniform he had kept after leaving the company in 2020.
CCTV footage shown in court captured Kissi arriving at the bank wearing a helmet with the visor down, a face mask and carrying a security cash case. Believing he was a legitimate G4S employee, bank staff allowed him into the secure cash handling area and handed over several bags containing £117,200.
After leaving the bank, Kissi changed his clothing, transferred the cash into a bin bag and left the area in an Uber.
The fraud was only discovered when the genuine G4S security officer arrived later to carry out the scheduled cash collection.
The following day, Kissi travelled to Accra, Ghana, where he remained for almost four years before returning to the United Kingdom on March 26 this year.
Police arrested him upon his arrival at Gatwick Airport after investigators linked him to the crime through CCTV footage and Uber records. Authorities said Kissi had booked his getaway vehicle using his real name and phone number, and he was still carrying the same mobile phone when he returned to the UK.
Kissi initially claimed he had been mistaken for someone else, but investigators used the phone records and other evidence to connect him to the offence.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court, Kissi pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. A separate charge of possessing criminal property was later dropped.
During sentencing, Judge Rosa Dean said Kissi had exploited his insider knowledge gained while working for G4S and noted that his departure to Ghana was intended to evade arrest rather than solely to care for his ill mother, as claimed by the defence.
The court heard that Santander staff were deeply distressed by the incident, with one employee expressing concern that he could lose his job. However, no disciplinary action was ultimately taken against any bank staff involved.
Detective Constable Stuart Ponder of the Metropolitan Police said the investigation relied on extensive CCTV analysis and mobile phone evidence linking Kissi to the Uber used after the theft.
Police said the case demonstrates that offenders can still be brought to justice years after committing financial crimes, even after leaving the country.
