CITIZENS COMPASS –A Lagos Magistrate’s court has arraigned a staff of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Komolafe Oluwayomi, for allegedly stealing the sum of N9,989,000 belonging to a customer.
The 45-year-old banker was said to have broken into the bank’s system to steal the money and converted it for his personal use.
He was dragged to the Court by his employers.
The defendant was arrested by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Bar Beach division, Victoria Island, Lagos following a complaint by the management of GTBank
After an investigation by Inspector Patience Eguabor and team, Oluwayomi, a resident of Unity Close, Ojodu, Lagos from Ondo State was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
Police counsel, Ben Ekundayo informed the court that the defendant committed the offence during working hours at the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc located at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Ekundayo told the Court that the defendant betrayed the trust reposed in him by his employer as the officer in charge of payment of drivers’ retirement benefits by fraudulently including the name and account number of his friend in the retirement benefits payroll and used it to transfer the sum of N9,989,000 into his friend’s account as if his friend is a beneficiary of the retirement benefits and later transferred the money from his friend’s account to his personal account domiciled at GTB Bank and converted the money to his use.
He said the management of GTB uncovered the fraud when they audited the drivers’ retirement payroll accounts.
Ekundayo said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sections 411 and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Magistrate, M.A. Owunmi granted him N2m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Owunmi adjourned the case till 11 June 2024 and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till he perfected the bail conditions.
