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By Madu Obi
A former manager of Onitsha branch of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nwachukwu Placidus, has been sentenced to a cumulative 121 years in prison for diverting fixed deposit funds of a customer amounting to N112,100,000.
Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha handed down the judgment following the arraignment of the banker by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement, explained that the convict faced 16-count charges, including forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretense, and uttering.
One of the counts was that 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 he had placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which he knew to be false, thereby committed an offence.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which then set the stage for his trial.
“In the course of trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents which were 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. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The court also ordered the convict to restitute the said sum to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyawele, in a statement said: "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 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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