There are indications that some top management staff of First Bank Plc may be charged to court following the outcome of a forensic investigation over alleged forgery and willful falsification of a Deed of Guarantee purportedly signed by Ismail Alao, the son of the late businessman, Arisekola-Alao.

Ismaila Arisekola-Alao had in a petition written to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police ‘D’ entitled, “Urgent request to conduct forensic investigation into a case of forgery, criminal conversion, willful falsification of facts dated October 15, 2015,” alleged that his signature and other documents were forged by top management officers of First Bank Plc to take over his late father’s companies.

Those accused in the petition are the banks’ Chief Legal Officer, Raymond Mbgeokwere, Executive Director (Corporate), Head Legal Services, Ropo Okunmuyide and the former Managing Director, Bisi Onasanya, and two others.

Consequently, in a circular CB/7000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL 36012, signed by Commissioner of Police, Femi Oyeleye, on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Police Special Fraud Unit (SPFU) was directed to carry out instigation on the petition.

It was gathered that the report of the investigation confirmed the allegations of forgery against the bank and that of the Notary Public that it claimed attested to the documents.

Consequently, the bank officials, led by its chief legal officer, were invited and allegedly made useful statements to the police.

The investigating team led by one CSP Oketunji was said to have discovered how the bank forged the late Arisekola-Alao’s signature and that of his son Ismaila on the Deed of Guarantee of Lister Oil.

The report also discovered that there are fake assets and addressees for some properties in the Deed of Guarantee to take over Lister Oil tank farm belonging Arisekola-Alao under a purported N10 billion debt

The report of the instigation which was released in March has been forwarded to the Office of Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and possible prosecution of the alleged offenders.

“The son (Ismaila Arisekola-Alao) and fathers (late Arisekola-Alao) signatures were forged. The assets declared on the forms were false. Notary public whom first Bank claimed stamped it “before him” wasn’t aware of the transaction.

“The bank forged the signatures of Arisekola-Alao and his son (Ismaila) on the Deed of Guarantee of Lister Oil Limited and included fake assets and addresses for some properties in the deed of guarantee to take over the Lister Oil tank farm belonging to the man under a purported debt by another company belonging to Arisekola to the bank of N100 million which the bank claims has now grown to over N10 billion,” the report stated.

In a reaction on Wednesday, First Bank said its attention had been drawn to the story in some media publications on the purported allegation of forgery against its officers by Ismail Arisekola-Alao in respect of the Deed of Guarantee of Lister Oil Limited.

It said: “To set the record straight and for public information, we categorically state that the allegation is untrue, spurious and deliberate attempt at the discoloration of facts.

“It is pertinent to state that the Bank and the late Arisekola-Alao family are currently engaged in a protracted legal matter in respect to a recovery process over a debt owed the Bank, and the forgery claim in the media now seems the new trend being employed by the Bank’s debtors to scuttle recovery process.”

•Sourced from The AUTHORITY.

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