Two employees of Keystone Bank Limited, Ebele Okpala, and Perpetua Onyeto, were granted bail on Monday by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos after facing allegations of obtaining N35 million.
Okpala and Onyeto were arraigned on Friday, August 30, 2024, over alleged fraud by the Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos.
The duo is facing five counts bordering on conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, and obtaining by false pretence, by the police.
The Chief Superintendent of Police, Eliot Ejie who is the prosecution counsel, claimed that the two bankers committed the offences sometime in July 2023.
CSP Ejie, told the court that the first defendant, Okpala, in collusion with the second defendant, Onyeto, who worked at a branch of the bank in Anambra State, allegedly fraudulently removed a lien placed on a bank customer’s account and transferred the funds to Okpala’s account number 1000234952 domiciled in Keystone Bank.
The prosecutor, stated that the defendants’ actions contravened Section 1(1)(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act, 2006, and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
He also told the court their actions contravened Sections 516 and 383 (1) of the Criminal Code Act LFN 2004, as well as Sections 21(a) and 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
The case was then adjourned till Monday, for the hearing of their bail applications after the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the defendants’ counsel argued for their bail applications, which were vehemently opposed by the prosecutor.
After listening to the arguments on their bail applications, Justice Dipeolu granted the two bankers bail in the sum of N10m each with two sureties each in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction and the second surety must be a Grade level 16 officer in either a Lagos or Federal Government establishment, Justice Dipeolu also ordered.
He then adjourned the case till November 6, 2024, for trial.
PUNCH
