In continuation of it’s clampdown at elements sabotaging efforts in making the redesigned Naira notes available to the members of the public, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the arrest of a bank official over allegations of “sabotage”.
Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, the Commission’s spokesperson said.
According to her: “The bank official, who is the Branch Service Head of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Deidei Branch, Abuja, was taken into custody for her deliberate refusal to upload cash into the branch’s Automated Teller Machines (ATM) even when the cash was available, and people were queuing at the ATMs. “When the ICPC monitoring team stormed the bank at about 1:30pm to ensure compliance, and demanded explanation as to why all the ATMs were not dispensing cash, it was informed by the branch’s Head of Operations that the bank just got delivery of the cash.
“However, facts available to the ICPC opera- tives indicated that the branch took delivery of the cash around 11.58am and either willfully or maliciously refused to feed the ATMs with the cash.
“Against this backdrop, the ICPC team compelled the bank to load the ATMs with the redesigned Naira notes and ensured that they were all dispensing before arresting the culprit”. While noting that investigations are still ongoing, she added that the Commission will take appropriate actions as soon they are concluded.
In a related development, the anti-graft agency said its Compliance Team in Oshogbo has “busted an FCMB in Osogbo, Osun State where some ATMs were loaded with cash with their wrappers un-removed, thus preventing the cash from being dispensed. “The team therefore directed that the wrappers be removed, and the cash loaded properly.
“However, when a follow- up visit was undertaken the following day to ascertain the level of compliance, the Team discovered that one of the ATMs was still loaded with the wrappers un-removed. “The Operation Manager of the Bank was arrested and taken in for questioning.
