The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has warned the nation’s banks not to reveal the Commission’s investigative activities to customers. The Commission said compliance officers should desist from unauthorized disclosure of EFCC’s investigation activities and request from banks to their customers.
This was contained in a statement by the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede. The Chairman made this declaration during a meeting with compliance officers of banks in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.
Olukoyede, stated this through the Acting Zonal Director of the Ibadan Zonal Command of EFCC, ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim. He said the Commission is aware that some Compliance Officers are giving some information to customers.
Olukoyede, therefore, decried the unhealthy support fraudsters receive from the banking sector in Nigeria. The Chairman stressed that such an act is posing considerable challenges and concerns to the Commission.
He stated, “EFCC is aware of the fact that Compliance Officers give information to their clients. Regarding ‘letters of investigation activities’ written to the banks from the EFCC.
Olukoyede insisted that such attempts usually jeopardize the investigation exercise of financial crimes. He pointed that it delays corruption cases from being filed before the law court.
The Chairman decried the unhealthy support fraudsters receive from the banking sector in Nigeria. He stressed that it is posing considerable challenges and concerns to the Commission.
The EFCC’s boss also urged banks to always respond to letters received from the Commission with certified true copies. He noted that it must include instruments of transactions of beneficiaries or sources. He said this will expedite the process of investigation to a logical conclusion.
Olukoyede added that illegal dealings and trading in Naira with the Point-of-sale, POS, operators must stop.
“What we notice and see around lately is that Nigerians can only withdraw a small amount of their money with the banks in Automated Teller Machine, ATMs. But POS operators evidently go around with huge amounts of money gotten from the banks.
“This is not fair to Nigerians, and we must fight it head-on,” the EFCC boss said.
source: Daily Post