For allegedly being involved in fraud to the tune of N187m, a former acting branch manager of Sterling Bank Plc, Oliver Anidiobi, was on Tuesday (yesterday) arraigned before Justice C.O. Ajah of the Enugu State High Court.
Anidiobi who was also the Account Relationship Officer of OHHA Microfinance Bank was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) over the alleged offence.
The former bank manager is facing a 32-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing from the microfinance bank.
According to the anti-graft agency, Anidiobi used his position to convince the microfinance bank to deposit the said amount with him with an accompanying letter of instruction (which he acknowledged) to Sterling Bank.
The former bank manager was equally said to have fixed the amount on behalf of the microfinance bank, only for him to forge a ‘Fixed Deposit Certificate’ as evidence of their investment.
The Commission insisted that upon receipt of several instalments of the money totalling N187 million (One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million Naira), Anidiobi diverted the said sum to his personal use to build a two-storey building of five flats, several plots of land along Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway and an uncompleted four bedroom bungalow at Centenary Estate, Enugu.
He was further accused of making an investment of over N65 million (Sixty Five Million Naira).
One of the counts against him reads: “Anidiobi Oliver Chukwuka, sometime between 15th day of August, 2014 and 28th day of August, 2014 in Enugu, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the aggregate sum of N5 million naira only, being property of OHHA Microfinance Bank Limited and thereby committed an offence.”
