Police in Lagos on Wednesday arraigned two staff of Wema Bank Plc before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly defrauding the bank of N93.2 million.
The police prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Okoye, told the court that the accused– Joseph Adeleye (32) and Bankole Alade (36) were clerks at the headquarters of the bank at Marina, Lagos.
Okoye said the duo was facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing.
He said they committed the offence, with others at large, between November 2012 and July this year at the bank’s headquarters and at Emrey Hotel, Lagos.
The prosecutor said the duo and their accomplices revealed the passwords of the “BSM and TOFT“ (banking software) of their branches to fraudsters.
“The fraudsters gained access to Wema Bank Fund Transfer menu and transferred the above mentioned sum to various fraudulent accounts and also withdrew same within 24 hours.
“Adeleye and Alade also revealed the Impute Override Menu and the Override Menu of the bank to the fraudsters, which they used to steal the said amount, using 18 different bank accounts, “the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Okoye as saying during the hearing.
According to the police prosecutor, the account numbers used by the accused persons are – 0228590857, 0228600022, 0228556552, 0228646558, 0228261847, 0228661344, 0228451413, 0228738905, 0228624574,
Others are: 0228620124, 0228688141, 0228747675, 0228676645, 0225920608, 0221550018, 0223528581, 0228578220 and 0224440459.
He said the offences contravened Sections 409, 333 and 285 (6) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment, if no other charges are considered.
The Magistrate, Ms. Abimbola Awogboro, granted them bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum each.
[Nation]