SAN JOSE (Reuters) – Costa Rica’s attorney general’s office has launched a probe into the disappearance of around $6 million at the National Bank of Costa Rica, the largest commercial bank in the country, according to bank officials. The missing funds, equivalent to 3.3 billion colones, were initially identified through internal audits in August. As a result, five employees have been suspended, said Jaime Murillo, the bank’s interim manager, during a press conference. Among those being investigated by the attorney general’s office are an accountant, supervisors, and a guard.
Murillo stated, “We cannot definitively conclude that this is fraud or that someone stole the cash. We have not reached that point yet. The matter is still under investigation.” He also assured that the bank’s clients are not in any jeopardy. This incident is unprecedented in the bank’s 109-year history, he added.
The bank, however, has no knowledge of how or when the money went missing. A clearer picture is expected once the attorney general’s office concludes its investigation, along with an internal probe by the bank itself.
($1 = 530.1500 colones)
(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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