Oyo governor’s in-law Kolapo Daisi, Heritage bank’s MD, five others arraigned over N1bn fraud

Kolapo Daisi, an in-law to the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, alongside the Managing Director of Heritage Bank Plc, Ifiesimama Sekibo, has been arraigned before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for an alleged fraud of N1 billion.

They were charged along with others including Dimire Dike, Wumi Adeniyi, Funmilayo Taiwo, and Akeem Durotoye.

The charges border, among others, on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money under false pretenses, and forgery.

Sekibo, Ajimobi’s son-in-law, conspired with others and obtained money under false pretenses and forgery.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleged that the defendants obtained the sum of N1bn from Heritage Bank Plc “by falsely representing the sum as proceeds of Vlamings Professional Limited’s investment in Heritage Bank Plc.”

The commission accused them of dishonestly converting Heritage Bank’s property, in the sum of N1 billion for personal gains.

They were accused of forging a document titled ‘RE: Expression of Interest in Agric Fund Management Scheme.”

According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly forged the document dated April 2, 2015, “purporting it to be a loan scheme executed in favour of Vlamings Professionals Limited.”

The EFCC claimed that the defendants sent the document to it (EFCC), hoping it would be mistaken as genuine.

Counsel for the EFCC, Ekene Iheanacho, said the defendants committed the offence between February 2015 and February 2017.
He said the accused allegedly acted contrary to sections 285(8), 363(3)(h) and 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Heritage Bank to permanently forfeit a total sum of N1.2 billion to the Federal Government.

Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order on Tuesday, following a suit filed by the EFCC against Heritage Bank Plc and Secure Electronics Technology Limited.

Iheanacho Ekene, Counsel for the EFCC, told Justice Obiozor that “The persons in whose possession the funds were found are not laying claim to them and surrendered them for forfeiture.”

In a supporting affidavit to the forfeiture application, a female investigator with the EFCC, Oghare Ogbole, had averred that the funds were discovered following an intelligence report received by the anti-graft agency.

She added that “Heritage Bank did not provide any legitimate explanation for the above transactions (involving the sums) and consequently returned the said money through 16 separate bank drafts issued in favor of the EFCC Recovered Funds Account.