FRAUD: Ex-Bank Manager re-arraigned for alleged N179m fraud

By Onozure Dania

A former bank manager, Fidelis Egueke, was on Thursday, re-arraigned for the third time, by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Alagbon-Ikoyi, over an alleged fraud of N179, 498 million.

Egueke was re-arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, in Lagos on 16 counts-amended charges filed against him by the police.

The defendant, who last worked with the Asaba, Delta State branch of Zenith Bank Plc, is accused of alleged financial fraud.

He was arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare, who is the third judge, to preside over the charge, due to the transfer of the two previous justices, namely: Justice (Prof) Chuka Obiozor and Justice Tijani Ringim, who are currently sitting in another jurisdiction of the court.

The former bank manager was said to have resigned his appointment with the bank after being queried on the alleged fraud and demarketing of the bank.

He was first arraigned before Justice Obiozor in November 2020, on two previous amended charges of three and 14 counts of conspiracy, fraud, unlawful conversion, obtaining by false pretence and unauthorised withdrawal.

Egueke was again re-arraigned before Justice Ringim on August 7, 2022, on the same counts, after Justice Obiozor was transferred out of Lagos jurisdiction of the court.

However, due to the transfer of Justice Ringim to another jurisdiction, his case file was taken over by Justice Ogundare.

At the resumed trial of the defendant, on Thursday, the prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, informed the court of the third amended charge of 16 counts.

The defendant’s new counsel, Tunde Adekoye (SAN), did not oppose his re-arraignment but urged the court to allow his client to continue with the previous bail terms granted by the previous judges.

PUNCH