The Legal Section of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, has filed a 4-count charge before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi – Lagos; against one Ebele Bernardine Okpala, an ex-staff of Keystone Bank Limited (KBL).
Okpala was arrested by the Unit for alleged offences of Fraudulent Conversion and Stealing N35,000,000.00 being the credit facility she obtained in July 2023 from a Financial Services firm as Proof-of-funds to facilitate approval of a Canadian Visa for her daughter.
The Special Fraud Unit’s spokesman, a Superintendent of Police, Eyitayo Johnson, said that the money
was deposited in the suspect’s account domiciled in Keystone Bank Limited and secured by a Post-No-Debit (PND) placed by KBL at the behest of the financial company, to preserve the funds.
Johnson said: “However, the suspect, working in connivance with one of her colleagues at the bank, who was a Service Manager, circumvented procedures, processes emplaced by KBL and lifted the PND without authorization; to enable Ebele Okpala to transfer the money out to settle personal needs.
“After the act, on the 6th of September 2023, she absconded from her duties at the bank till date. However, Detectives tracked her to Delta State and she was arrested on 4th July, 2024.”