BANK CASHIER JAILED TEN YEARS FOR STEALING DEPOSITORS’ MONEY
The Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), said charge sheet stated that the offence was contrary to Section 390 (g) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The bank had written a petition to the commission alleging that Ihinolurinjon, while still a staffer, stole N8, 891,000 from its vault, and also failed to remit a total of N7, 251,600 he collected from customers to the bank’s account.
“Our preliminary review showed that Michael fraudulently diverted the sums of N8, 891,000 and N7, 251,600.00 of the branch vault and customers’ cash respectively. The cash deposit of N7, 251,600 received by Michael from various customers between 1/9/16 and 19/9/16 were neither posted to their respective accounts nor the cash accounted for,” the petition stated.
Penpushing further reports that, the bank stated in its petitioned dated October 17, 2016 that Ihinolurinjon also absconded from duty ‘upon sighting one of the customers whose cash he had fraudulently diverted’.
The anti-graft added that, following the petition, the commission went into investigation after which the accused was originally charged with obtaining through false pretence in a one-count charge filed in 2017.
Penpushing also reports that, the charge was later amended to a two-count, bordering on stealing, upon which he was re-arraigned on June 24, 2019,while prosecuting the case, the commission, through its lawyer, Abdulresheed Suleman, called nine witnesses and also tendered several exhibits.
The judge, Justice Abiodun Adesodun after listening to arguments on both sides, found the defendant guilty as charged, and sentenced him to five years imprisonment on each of the two counts., which is to run concurrently.
Penpushing reports that, the court, however, gave the convict an option of fine of N100, 000 on each of the counts, and was also ordered to pay a sum of Seven Million Naira as restitution to Fidelity Bank Plc, being the petitioner in the case.
