ICPC arrests bank officials for blocking ATMs from dispensing

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested a bank official of one of the commercial banks for allegedly sabotaging the circulation of the new naira notes.

The bank official, who is the Branch Service Head of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Deidei Branch, Abuja, was arrested for her deliberate refusal to upload cash into the branch’s Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) when the cash was available and people were queuing at the ATMs.

The ICPC disclosed this via a statement issued by its spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, on Friday.

“When the ICPC monitoring team stormed the bank at about 1:30 pm 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 operatives indicated that the branch took delivery of the cash around 11:58 am 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.

“Investigations are still ongoing, and the Commission will take appropriate actions as soon they are concluded,” the commission stated.

In a related development, the ICPC noted that the Operation Manager of the FCMB in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, was arrested for blocking ATMs from dispensing.

“The ICPC 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,” it added.

The ICPC added that its operatives also arrested seven Point of Sale (POS) operators and a security guard in Osun State for charging exorbitant commissions for cash.

The commission said investigations revealed that the arrested suspects got the money from filling stations that collect new notes from fuel buyers, but they later resell the cash to the people at exorbitant rates.

“The arrested persons are helping the Commission with information to assist investigations and bust any syndicates involved in the hoarding or sales of the redesigned notes,” it added.

The Star

Segun Ojo