N219m fraud: MF Bank raises alarm of suspected EFCC compromise

OHHA Micro Finance Bank, based in Enugu state, has raised the
alarm that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
maybe shielding a suspected fraudulent banker with one of the
commercial banks in Enugu (name withheld) from prosecution over a
case of obtaining by false pretence the sum of Two Hundred and
Nineteen Million, Thirty Four Thousand Nine Hundred and One Naira
Fifty Kobo (N219, 034 901.50).

Counsel to the micro finance bank, Mr. Olu Omotayo in a letter
to the EFCC head of operations in southeast, lamented that for
about one a half years since the matter was reported to the
commission, the suspect was yet to be charged to court even when
the EFCC said it has concluded investigation on the matter.

The suspect who works with a commercial bank in Enugu was said
to have collected the said amount from the micro finance bank for
deposit in the commercial bank but till date the money was not
found in the accounts of the commercial bank.

Omotayo said the matter was first reported to the EFCC in
January 2018, and was further referred for thorough investigation
by the Chairman of the EFCC based on a petition made to him on the
4th July 2018.

“Our client was happy when the BF (Bank Fraud) Section which
investigated the matter informed us sometimes in the month of
October 2018, that investigation into the matter has been concluded
and the file is now in the legal section and the matter would soon
be charged to court. Six months later the suspect who obtained N219
Million Naira by false pretence is walking the street a free man
and boasting that nothing will happen.

“The money stolen by (name withheld) is depositors’ money (poor
people in the society). The Legal section up till date refused to
charge the suspect to court.

Sometimes in February 2019, I accompanied the Managing Director
and another Director of Ohha Microfinance bank to meet the Head of
legal Section and he assured us that the suspect would soon be
charged to court as they are amending the charge to reflect that
the matter will be charged at the Federal High Court and to also
reflect the offence of obtaining by false pretence.

“It is now two months after and nothing has been done. Our
client believes that with the way things are going in this matter
they may not get justice in this case hence the appeal to your
office to ensure that this suspect is charged to court forthwith,”
Omotayo pleaded.

He said that the war against corruption of the Federal
government will be meaningless if after investigation the case file
against a suspect is dumped somewhere and the suspect allowed to go
scot-free, noting that “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

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