A couple, Akinwole
Oluwaseun Dosunmu and his wife, Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmum, have been arraigned
over allegation of stealing N2.7million from Sterling Bank.
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office, yesterday, arraigned an
ex-banker, Akinwole and his wife Motunrayo before Justice Ladiran Akintola of
the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for alleged financial fraud to the tune of N2,
740,300.92.
According to the EFCC
spokesman, Tony Orilade, the couple was accused of stealing the sum from the
Sterling Bank Plc. Orliade explained that Akinwole was an employee of the bank,
while his wife was a customer and a beneficiary in the bank’s Third Party
Acquirer Scheme.
Orilade said: “The bank
had initiated the scheme as a marketing strategy through which relatives and
friends of their marketing agents were awarded commission for bringing new
customers to open and operate new accounts with the bank. Akinwole, also a
marketer with the bank, was appointed to coordinate the scheme. Apart
from the commission on account opening, the referral also enjoys certain
percentage on the saving made through the accounts every month.”
It was, however,
alleged that while reviewing activities under the scheme in 2016, the bank
discovered that most of the accounts appropriated to Motunrayo as a third-party
acquirer were fraudulently tagged to her by her husband. The investigation allegedly further revealed that the
accounts were never sourced by neither of the couple, but by other third-party
agents.
According to the
petition filed by the bank, the couple had benefited a total of N2,
740,300.9292 as commission fraudulently paid to Motunrayo through the scheme.
It was on account of
the allegation and further investigations by the EFCC that the couple was
arraigned on a 16-count charge of stealing on Tuesday.
The offence is contrary
to Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Laws CAP 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Count one of the charge
reads: “That you, Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu and Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu
between the months of July 2015 and April 2016 at Ibadan within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an illegal act, to wit,
stealing of the aggregate sum of N1,280,554.38, property of Sterling Bank Plc
under the guise that the account of Odediran Oluwafemi, was generated by
Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu and thereby committed an offense.”
The defendants pleaded
not guilty to the charges.
In view of their plea,
counsel to the EFCC, Ifeanyi Agwu, applied for a date for trial and for the
defendants to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, the defence
counsel, J. B. Olaoye, informed the court that he has filed applications for
bail on behalf of the accused persons.
Justice Akintola
adjourned the matter till February 21, 2020, for hearing of the bail
applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the
Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi, Ibadan.
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