An Economy and Financial Crimes Commission witness, Chris Owai, on Wednesday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court how two former workers of First Bank, Stella Oyeluyi and Noel Benjamin, allegedly manipulated the account number of Chevron Multipurpose Cooperative and stole N41.5m.
According to The PUNCH, Owai, the Head of Internal Audit at First Bank, stated that the first defendant, a former business manager at the Chevron Branch of First Bank in Lekki, recalled the investment of Chevron Multipurpose Cooperative to pay money to another bank customer without their permission.
Along with Graham Ehigiator, the managing director of Bvee International Limited, the defendants are being tried for three counts of conspiracy to conduct felony, fraudulent false accounting, and theft.
The witness, while being led in evidence by the EFCC lawyer, Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, informed the court that on March 28, 2019, Chevron Multipurpose Cooperative called in its investment from First Bank Quest Asset Management, which was a division of the bank that handled facility beyond N10m.
“At the time they called in their investment, the new business manager of the branch was the first defendant. The audit department discovered a shortfall to the tune of N84m when the investment was called,” the witness said.
According to the prosecution, the accused offences violated sections 278, 335(a), and 409 of the Lagos State Criminal Laws of 2011.
Justice Mojisola Dada delayed the case until December 9 to allow the trial to continue.
