It looks like a match made for good and for mammon; but now the courts have to decide whether this couple accused by Sterling Bank of allegedly short-changing it of N2.7 million is guilty or not.
Already, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday arraigned ex-banker, Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu, alongside his wife, Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for alleged financial fraud to the tune of N2, 740,300.92 (Two Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Thousand, Three Hundred Naira, Ninety-Two kobo).
The couple was accused of stealing the sum from the Sterling Bank Plc. Akinwole was an employee of the bank, while his wife was a customer and a beneficiary in the bank’s Third Party Acquirer Scheme.
The bank had initiated the scheme as a marketing strategy through which relatives and friends of their marketing agents were awarded commission for bringing new customers to open and operate new accounts with the bank. Akinwole, also a marketer with the bank, was appointed to coordinate the scheme.
Apart from the commission on account opening, the referral also enjoys certain percentage on the saving made through the accounts every month.
It was, however, alleged that while reviewing activities under the scheme in 2016, the bank discovered that most of the accounts appropriated to Motunrayo as a third-party acquirer were fraudulently tagged to her by her husband.
The investigation allegedly further revealed that the accounts were never sourced by neither of the couple, but by other third-party agents.
According to the petition filed by the bank, the couple had benefited a total of N2, 740,300.9292 as ommission fraudulently paid to Motunrayo through the scheme.
It was on account of the allegation and further investigations by the EFCC that the couple was arraigned on a 16-count charge of stealing on Tuesday.
The offence is contrary to Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Laws CAP 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu and Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu between the months of July 2015 and April 2016 at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an illegal act, to wit, stealing of the aggregate sum of N1,280,554.38 (One Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Four Naira, Thirty-Eight Kobo), property of Sterling Bank Plc under the guise that the account of one Odediran Oluwafemi and An Nee was generated by Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu and thereby committed an offense”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In view of their plea, counsel to the EFCC, Ifeanyi Agwu, applied for a date for trial and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, the defence counsel, J. B. Olaoye, informed the court that he has filed applications for bail on behalf of the accused persons.
Justice Akintola adjourned the matter till Friday, February 21, 2020, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi, Ibadan.