A former manager with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nwachukwu Placidus, has been sentenced to 121 years imprisonment for diverting fixed deposit funds of a customer amounting to N112,100,000 for his personal use.
Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, convicted and sentenced Placidus following his arraignment by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence, and uttering.
Justice Odili delivered his judgment, affirming that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” and sentenced Placidus to varying prison terms on counts 3 to 16. Placidus was discharged on counts 1 and 2. The sentences will run concurrently.
Placidus was arraigned on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 on 16-count charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence and uttering, by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
One of the counts reads: “Nwachukwu Placidus between February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him, thus setting the stage for his trial.
In the course of trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents which were admitted in evidence.
In his judgment, Justice Odili held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count 3, 4 years on count 4 and 9 years on counts 5 to 16 respectively.
He was discharged on counts 1 and 2. The sentences shall run concurrently.
Furthermore, the court ordered Placidus to restitute the sum of N112,100,000 to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank, which was defrauded as a result of his actions.
Background to the story
Placidus ’journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner, Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD, alleged that the sum of N112,100,000 was handed over to him as the branch manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for fixed deposit. However, when the petitioner approached the bank to terminate and withdraw the deposit, the bank denied receiving the said funds.
Upon receipt of the petition, the EFCC swung into action and investigations revealed that the convict diverted the money for his own use and issued a fake fixed Deposit Certificate to the petitioner.