Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, has convicted and sentenced a former bank manager in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nwachukwu Placidus, to a cumulative 121 years imprisonment for diverting fixed deposit funds of a customer to the tune of N112.1 million for his personal use.
A statement released by EFCC today May 4 says he was arraigned on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, on 16-count charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence and uttering, by the anti-graft agency.
One of the counts reads
“Nwachukwu Placidus between
February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the
jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud
obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred
Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence
that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City
Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby
committed an offence”.
He pleaded not guilty to the
charges when they were read to him, thus setting the stage for his trial.
During the trial, the EFCC,
through its counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered
several relevant documents admitted in evidence.
In his judgment, Justice Odili
held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and
sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count 3, 4 years on count 4
and 9 years on counts 5 to 16 respectively. He was discharged on counts 1 and
2. The sentences shall run concurrently.
The court further ordered the
convict to restitute the sum to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank.
Placidus’ journey to the
Correctional Centre began when a petitioner, Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD,
alleged that the sum of N112,100,000 was handed over to him as the branch
manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for a fixed deposit. However, when the petitioner approached
the bank to terminate and withdraw the deposit, the bank denied receiving the
said funds.
Upon receipt of the petition,
the EFCC swung into action and investigations revealed that the convict
diverted the money for his own use and issued a fake fixed Deposit Certificate
to the petitioner
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