Diamond Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s healthiest and most respected financial institutions has categorically stated that its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Alex Otti is not party to any fraud case being investigated or prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The bank released this statement in order to clear the air concerning certain libelous publications that sprang up over the cause of the past few days which contained a false report that Dr. Otti was involved in an EFCC investigation.
The Corporate Communications department of the bank in a statement released today said:
Our attention has been drawn to news reports circulating in some online blogs to the effect that our Group Managing Director, Dr. Alex Otti, is involved in a fraud case currently under investigation by the EFCC.
We would like to state, for the avoidance of any doubt, that Dr. Alex Otti has never been involved in any case of fraud pending before the EFCC, either now or in the past.
Dr. Otti is a highly respected and experienced banker who has worked meritoriously in the Nigerian banking sector for over two decades, and risen to the top through hard work and the display of a high sense of integrity. We deplore this cheap and unwarranted attempted to rubbish his professional reputation and impeccable track record through false and unsubstantiated allegations.
We expect those peddling this falsehood to have at the very least sought confirmation from the EFCC before going to town with their libelous publications. Such an enquiry would definitely have established the true state of affairs.
Dr. Alex Otti has accordingly briefed his lawyers, and will not hesitate to institute legal proceedings for libel against those involved, if the publication of this false and damaging report is not retracted, and discontinued, forthwith.