The Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a banker in court over alleged stealing.
The suspect, Mr Adejare Sonde, was on Monday brought before Justice
A. A. Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta for
allegedly stealing N124 million.
A statement issued by Mr Ayo Oyewole, Head, Public Affairs, EFCC
Ibadan Zonal Office, said Sonde was arraigned on a 12-count charge
bordering on stealing, forgery and ultering.
“Sonde was arraigned following a petition from a Regional Compliance Head of one of the new generation banks.
“It was alleged that Adejare Sonde, while still a staff of the bank
and also an account officer of a Microfinance bank, suppressed and
diverted the sum of N124,000,000.00, property of the Microfinance bank.
“The petitioner explained that Sonde as account officer allegedly
collected cash from the microfinance bank on several occasions totalling
N124 million which was not credited into the customer’s account.
“Further investigations revealed that the defendant allegedly
doctored emails which he sent to the microfinance bank as monthly
statements of account; meanwhile there was no remit in the account,’’
the statement said.
The defendant, according to the statement, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him before Justice Akinyemi.
“In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Mr Cosmos Ugwu, prayed the
court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in
prison custody.
“The defence counsel, Mr E. E. Jacob, told the court that he had
already filed a bail application and thereafter prayed the court to
allow the defendant remain in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the
application.
“The judge granted the defence prayer and ordered that the defendant
to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending hearing of bail
application,” the statement said.
Akinyemi adjourned the case till February 16 for trial and hearing of bail application.
(NAN)