A former Branch Manager of the Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Anidiobi Chukwuka was handed an eight-year jail term on Tuesday for stealing and converting the sum of N219m to personal use.
A trial judge, Justice Cyprian Ajah of the Enugu State High Court gave the ruling as he convicted Chukwuma of all the 32 counts levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anidiobi, who was the branch manager of Sterling bank along Market Road in Enugu as at the time of the offence, was arraigned before the court for stealing and converting to personal use the sum of N219m belonging to customers of Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited, Enugu, kept in a fixed deposit account with Sterling Bank Plc.
Chukwuka committed the offence between August 15, 2014 and November 16, 2017, Counsel for the microfinance bank, Mr Olu Omotayo revealed while briefing journalists shortly after the judgement.
Omotayo disclosed that his client first reported the case to the EFCC in a petition in January 2018, adding that the Enugu zonal office of the agency investigated the
case.
“The case was further referred for thorough investigation by the chairman of the commission based on a further petition we wrote on behalf of our client, dated July 4, 2018.
“Sequel to the outcome of further investigations, EFCC, through its prosecuting counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Michael Ani, filed a 32 count charge of stealing by conversion, obtaining by false pretences and forgery against the suspect (now convict) and was subsequently arraigned before Justice Ajah on May 7, 2019.
“The accused was represented during the trial by Chief O.A.U. Onyema, while Olu Omotayo held watching brief for the nominal complainant, Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited, throughout the trial,” he added.
He said the court convicted Chukwuka and sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment each for counts 1 to 14.
“He was further sentenced to four years each for counts 15 to 28 which border on obtaining by false pretences, while he was sentenced to eight years for counts 29 to 32, which border on forgery. The sentences are to run concurrently.” Omotayo said.
