Two banks have presented account documents at an Ikeja Special Offences Court during the ongoing N127.1million fraud case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Stephen Oshinowo, a former Executive Secretary, Lagos State Scholarship Board.
Compliance officers from the United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Zenith Bank Plc presented the documents which were tendered as evidence by the prosecution at the start of the criminal trial of the embattled scholarship board boss.
The witnesses while led in evidence by Mr O. A Mohammed, the EFCC prosecutor both informed the court that their duties involve liaising with various law enforcement agencies on behalf of the banks.
A compliance officer with UBA, Mr. Gideon Ovuzorie, told the court that the bank had received a letter from the EFCC in March to provide details of an account domiciled with the bank.
“The account was in the name of Oshinowo Adenike and the account number is 1005232876,” he said.
The documents pertaining to the account were immediately tendered into evidence.
The second prosecution witness, Mr Eyituoyo Mogbeyiteren, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank Plc, told the court that the bank was contacted by the EFCC sometime in June 2019 and 2020 to provide the details of some accounts.
“The bank received three letters from the EFCC for some customers of the bank. These accounts were Julikam International Ltd with account number 1012362080.
“Kamoru Kasali with account number 1002460229, Oshimolu Enterprises with account number 1012295628 and Oshimolu Trading Solutions with account number – 1013756557,” Mogbeyiteren said.
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Following his evidence, Mohammed also tendered the documents into evidence.
While being cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), Mogbeyiteren told the court that he is not a signatory to any of Zenith Bank’s letters to the EFCC
He also told the court that he was not certain whether the defendant was a director in the companies whose account documents were tendered as evidence.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until October 26 for continuation of trial.
Oshinowo was arraigned by the EFCC on July 2 on an eight-count fraud charge. According to the EFCC, the scholarship board boss committed the offences between 2016 and 2018 in Lagos.
“Investigations revealed that Oshinowo, at various times, allegedly diverted to his personal use the sum of N127.1million meant for the Board.
“Sometime in 2018, he dishonestly converted N30million property of Lagos State Scholarship Board, through one Oshinowo Adenike.
“Between Feb. 8, 2016 and Dec. 30, 2016 while acting as the Secretary of Lagos State Scholarship Board, dishonestly converted through Julikam International Ltd, the sum of N39million,” the EFCC prosecutor said.
