“Some bank staff are in the habit of going behind the commission to notify customers whose accounts are placed on Post-No-Debit Order (frozen), aiding and abetting crime and obstructing the wheel of justice, instead of assisting the commission as stipulated by law.”
Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has alleged that some members of staff of banks are sabotaging the commission’s anti-corruption fight.
He made this known in a discussion with regional compliance officers of commercial banks in Gombe, Gombe State capital, on Friday.
Magu, who was represented by Michael Wetkas, the Gombe Zonal Head of the EFCC, urged all the banks to be cautious when employing their staff.
He added that the ‘Know Your Customer’ policy shoul be taken seriously so that the bank will not “give room for fraudsters to open accounts for illicit or fraudulent transactions”.
Magu also stated that banks are important to the anti-corruption war, noting that it was for this reason that the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, reserved some sections for financial institutions.
He said: “Within the banking industry, there are actions which deliberately sabotage our efforts and such are unacceptable to the commission.
“Some bank staff are in the habit of going behind the commission to notify customers whose accounts are placed on Post-No-Debit Order (frozen), aiding and abetting crime and obstructing the wheel of justice, instead of assisting the commission as stipulated by law.”
“Banks must endeavour to always activate the ‘Know Your Customer’ requirement by verifying the addresses of their customers before opening any account in order not to give room for fraudsters to open accounts for illicit or fraudulent transactions,” he said
Magu called on all the banks to work hand in hand with EFCC in revealing any suspicious transactions as required by law.