Two staff of the First Bank Plc, Kehinde David Oludare and Awolola Olalekan Ayodeji have been dragged before an Osun State High Court sitting in Ila-Orangun for allegedly falsifying an account belonging to an immigration officer, Mr Badiru Adeyemi Oluwafemi.
The duo of Kehinde and Awolola who were attached to the Inisha Branch of the bank were said to be the Business Manager and Account Officer of Badiru respectively at the time the alleged crime was committed in 2015.
The matter, which has suffered a series of long adjournment had earlier been tried at the Okuku division of the court by four different Judges before it was transferred to Justice G Lawal of Ila-Orangun division.
When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, the two defendants were absent in Court, but their counsel, Mr Olamide Olabode told the court that Awolola Olalekan traveled to Imo State, hence his inability to appear before the court.
The State Counsel, Mr Biodun Badiora expressed worry on the delay suffered by the case and urged the court to expedite actions on the matter.
The trial judge, Justice Lawal also observed that the case file was not well kept as it looks dirty, an indication that the case started a long time ago.
In 2015, the defendants were charged on a five-count charge of stealing, keeping of fraudulent account, falsifying books of account, and fraudulent false accounting.
The offenses were said to be contrary to sections 435 (B), 438 (B), and 390 (9) of the criminal code law, Cap 3 laws of Osun State 2002.
Badiru had told the court that the two suspects had paid the sum of one million nairas into his account domiciled at the First Bank Plc without soliciting for it, alleging the two bank officials of a plan to defraud him through their action.
He said “The two suspects with intent to defraud me made or were privy to making false entry into my account when without authority created a loan account number 3896210013660 in the name of Badiru Adeyemi Oluwafemi, purporting to show that I took the loan on the said account,”
The court adjourned the matter till 21st September 2023 for arraignment and hearing.
