By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An employee of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Omotola Fawehinmi, has been arrested and arraigned before Justice Austin C. Obiozo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The banker was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos after the complainant, Union Bank Plc, filed a petition to the commission.
The suspect was arraigned on Thursday, August 1, 2019 on a five-count charge bordering on forgery and failure to carry out due diligence to the tune of N700 million.
One of the counts read, “That you, Omotola Fawehinmi, sometime in February, 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court aided the forgery of a document title Transfer of funds via RTGS-1014152125 dated 19th of June 2015 to the prejudice of Zenith Bank Plc who, in the belief that the said document was signed by Uka Chidi Udo, was induced to debit the account of Mobilng Huil Service Ltd to the tune of N394,916,175.66 (Three Hundred and Ninety-Four Million, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Sixty-Six Kobo) and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section (C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 Laws of the Federation 2004.”
However, when the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, asked the court for a trial date and accelerated hearing of the matter, while also praying that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
But counsel to the accused person, Kadija Belgore Yusuf, informed the court of a bail application for her client, which was granted by the judge.
Justice Obiozor granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250 million with one surety in like sum, who must deposit the title of a landed property in Lagos State, produce an affidavit of means, evidence of three years tax clearance, statement of account of the surety and one passport photograph of the surety, which must be verified by the court’s Deputy Registrar.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale