The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, November 4, 2016 arraigned one
Oluwatoyin Jinadu, a former banker with First City Monument Bank, FCMB, before
Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja on a
20-count charge bordering on theft and forgery to the tune of N52million.
As account
officer to Dr. D. K. Okoye in the Wuse 2 Branch of the bank, the accused
allegedly transferred N52million from Okoye’s account without his
knowledge or
consent, into accounts in Zenith Bank, GTBank, and Union Bank. These transfers
were alleged to have been done through forged transfer instructions.
Jinadu was
first arraigned before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court on July
12, 2012, but the case had dragged following several frivolous applications and
interlocutory appeals up to the Supreme Court, including a petition alleging
bias against the presiding Judge – a situation that led to the withdrawal of
the trial judge.
One of the
counts reads:
“That you,
Oluwatoyin Jinadu, on or about the 25th day of February 2010 in Abuja within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while working as a staff of First
City Monument Bank stole the sum of Twenty Million, Four Hundred and Eighty
Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty One Naira, thirteen kobo (N20,485,961.13)
belonging to one Josephat Okoye and thereby committed an offence punishable
under Section 287 of the Penal Code Act.”
The defendant
pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.
In view of her
plea, counsel to EFCC, Samuel Ugwuegbulam, urged the court to fix a date for
trial.
However,
counsel for the defense, M. A. Awul, through an oral application urged the
court to grant the accused bail relying on Section 162 of the Administration of
Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, and Section 36 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to
him, “the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We urge your
lordship to allow the defendant to continue on the existing bail granted him by
your learned brother or in the alternative, grant her bail on such terms the
court may consider appropriate to enable her to attend trial”.
Responding,
Ugwuegbulam opposed the application stating that, “since the former presiding
judge has declined jurisdiction on the matter, the bail has automatically
elapsed. Also, my lord, punishment for the offense the defendant is being
charged is enough incentive for her to jump bail”.
Justice Oriji,
however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N8million with two sureties in
like sum. The sureties must be residents in Abuja. One of the sureties must be
a civil servant in the federal civil service not below GL12.
The case has
been adjourned to December 5, 2016, and January 17 – 18 2017 for trial.
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