A Wuse Zone II Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Thursday discharged and acquitted a microfinance bank worker, Mola Oluwatobi, 25, charged with N3.6 million fraud.
The police charged Oluwatobi with criminal breach of trust and cheating in 2017.
Chief Magistrate Azubike Okeagu in his judgment said ”for failure of prosecutor to discharge the burden of proof placed on him by the law.
“The prosecution did not satisfactorily establish that the defendant is culpable for the offence she was charged with, I hereby enter a verdict of not guilty, for her”, he said.
He also said based on the evidence before the court which showed the failure of the prosecution to prove the charge of breach of trust and cheating against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
“The defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted of the charges”, Mr Okeagu ruled.
Ebie Eugene, the defence counsel, raised a sole issue to be determined as” whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as required by evidence Act, 2011 to justify the conviction of my client”.
The prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi told alleged that the defendant who was a staff of LAPO Microfinance Bank, was arraigned in 2017, for allegedly defrauding the bank to the tune of N3.6 million.
The prosecutor told the court that the manager of the bank reported the matter at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station.
Mr Oyeyemi alleged that instead of the defendant to remit money deposited by some of the bank’s customers, she misappropriated the money.
The defendant denied committing the offence.
Mr Oyeyemi said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
NAN
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