Police Re-arraign Ex-Bank Manager over N179.4m Fraud
Wale Igbintade
A former bank manager, Fidelis Egueke, was yesterday re-arraigned for the third time before a Lagos Federal High Court by men of Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID), Alagbon in Ikoyi, Lagos, over alleged fraud of N179, 498 million.
He was re-arraigned on a 16 count-amended charge filed against him by the police.
Egueke is being re-arraigned for the third time on the alleged financial fraud before Justice Kehinde Ogundare, who is the third Judge to preside over the charge due to the transfer of the two previous Justices, Justice (Prof) Chuka Obiozor and Justice Tijani Garuba Ringim, who are currently sitting in another jurisdiction of the court.
The former bank manager was said to have resigned his appointment with the bank, after being queried on the alleged fraud and for de-marketing his bank.
He was first arraigned before Justice (Prof) Obiozor sometimes in November 2020 on previous two amended charges of three and 14 counts of conspiracy, fraud, unlawful conversion, obtaining by false pretence, and unauthorised withdrawal.
The banker was again re-arraigned before Justice Ringim on August 7, 2022, on the same counts charge, when the Justice was transferred out of Lagos jurisdiction of the court.
But due to the transfer of Justice Ringim to another jurisdiction, his case file was reassigned to Justice Ogundare.
At the resumed trial of the defendant, the prosecutor, Moroof Animashaun, informed the court of the third amended charge of 16 counts.
The defendant’s new counsel, Tunde Adekoye (SAN), did not oppose his re-arraignment, but urged the court to allow his client to continue with the previous bail terms granted his client by the previous Judges.
Consequently, Justice Kehinde Ogundare ordered that the third amended charge be read to the defendant for his plea to be taken.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when the charges were read to him.
Following the plea of not guilty, his counsel, Adeoye (SAN), urged the court to allow his client to continue with the bail terms earlier granted by the court. The submission was not opposed by the prosecutor.
By the agreement of parties, Justice Ogundare, adjourned the matter to November 6 and 7, 2024, for commencement of the defendant’s trial.
In the amended charge, the police alleged that the former bank manager conspired with others now at large and without any authorisation, fraudulently removed the sum of N174. 498 million from a company’s account domiciled in Guarantee Trust Bank Plc.
The police alleged that the defendant committed the offences between May 14, 2010, and December 31, 2019.
Precisely, the prosecution in the charge marked FHC/L/298c/2020 alleged that the defendant and others now at large, on May 19, 2010, at No. 2 Balogun Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, conspired among themselves and obtained by false pretence the sum of N350,000 from a company under the pretence of opening an account with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
He was also alleged to have on December 10, 2018, obtained by false pretense the sum of N50 million from the company under the pretence of using same to finance a fish supply business.
The defendant was also alleged to have between May 14, 2010 and December 13, 2019, without authorisation, fraudulently converted the sum of N179,498 million in the company’s account domiciled in GTB to his personal use.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, contravened Sections 8(a), 1(1)(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. And Section 383 (1) of the Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation 2004 and punishable under Section 390 (1) of the same Criminal Code Act Laws of Federation 2004.
