Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A former banker with Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu, has been brought before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, the state capital.
Mr Dosunmu, who was arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his wife, Mrs Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu, was accused of stealing the sum of N2.7 million from the financial institution.
He was brought before the judge by the Ibadan zonal office of the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, on a 16-count charge of stealing.
It was alleged that while at Sterling Bank Plc, the main suspect, Mr Akinwole, stole from the lender and made his wife, a customer of the bank, a beneficiary in the bank’s Third Party Acquirer Scheme.
It was gathered that Sterling 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. Mr Akinwole, who worked as a marketer with the bank, was appointed to coordinate the scheme.
Apart from the commission on account opening, the referral was also made to enjoy 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 the suspect’s wife as a third-party acquirer were fraudulently tagged to her by her husband.
The investigation allegedly revealed that the accounts were never sourced by either of the couple, but by other third-party agents.
According to the petition filed by the bank, the couple had benefited a total of N2.7 million as commission fraudulently paid to Mrs Akinwole through the scheme.
According to the EFCC, 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 (One Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Four Naira, Thirty-Eight Kobo), property of Sterling Bank Plc under the guise that the account of one Odediran Oluwafemi and Annee was generated by Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu and thereby committed an offense”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and 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 Friday, 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.
