A former bank cashier, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge, his wife, Isakunle Olamide Oyinlola and mother-in- law, Isakunle Eunice Moradeke were on Friday, July 23, convicted and sentenced to 60 years imprisonment by Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye of Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado -Ekiti, on a 12-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
Their journey to jail started when the illicit activities of Ebenezer got exposed through a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from one of the new generation banks alleging that a staff, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge, was involved in fraudulent activities.
It was alleged that sometime in February 2018 the bank received a complaint concerning the financial impropriety of the sum of N62, 400.00 in respect of a customer’s account.
The bank had in it’s petition, alleged that on February 15, 2017, a customer lodged the said sum into her account but the transaction could not be traced in the customer’s account even after the customer presented a copy of the slip signed by Alonge.
In the course of investigation, the transaction was allegedly traced to an account of Ebenezer Alonge’s wife.
Further investigation By the EFCC, however, revealed that there was a turnover of over N21million as deposit from other customers in his wife’s account.
Also, it was alleged that other sums were traced to his mother-in-law’s account, who was also a beneficiary of the fraudulent act.
The prosecution said the offences committed were contrary to section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
In the course of trial, the EFCC called two witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove its case.
Justice Ogunmoye, in his judgement, ruled that the prosecution led by Abdulrasheed Lanre suleiman had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and the convicts had failed to extricate themselves from the self-evidenced proofs before the court.
The judge found the convicts guilty on all the 12-Count charges and sentenced them to five years on each count. The cumulative 60 years prison term will, however, run concurrently.
The court also ordered Alonge to forfeit his house, which shall be sold and the proceeds used to restitute the bank.
