Banker dupes money lenders, flees

Vincent Ashime Mani, a staff of the National Financial Credit Bank, NFC, Kumba branch, is said to be on the run after reportedly duping some money lenders and business magnets of FCFA 13 million in Kumba.

He is said to have gotten hold of the money through cheques from debtors of clients and other financial transactions he effected using the personal accounts of customers.

Mani who is also said to be a computer expert is reported to have been a key staff at the financial house in Kumba, causing many clients to put their trust in him.

Some of the clients with whom Mani had transactions were reportedly arrested for questioning after he disappeared from Kumba.

The Post gathered that, Mani’s whereabouts remain unknown since Thursday, April 9, 2015, when he was served a summons from the Meme state prosecutor’s office in Kumba.

He is thought to have been summoned following an alarm raised by a control team from Yaounde that has been at the bank for three weeks.

Speaking to The Post on the issue, D A Takoungang a money lender in Kumba confirmed that, there was a crisis situation involving him and others at the NFC but that, an amicable out of court settlement has since been reached.

Takoungang told The Post that, he is a “victim of a very high level of abuse of confidence” given that he had treated with Mani on a father and son platform during the last four years.

He disclosed that, Mani used to employ (Takoungang’s) account for other business transactions, but that he never really bothered to know where the money was coming or even where it was going to.

The money lender explained that, for now, he finds himself in a position whereby, he is compelled to pay the NFC FCFA 8.4 million, of which FCFA 4 million has been deposited already.

The agreement he said, was reached in the presence of his Counsel and a senior NFC staff, Godfred Achu Taku while the rest of the money will be paid at an accepted time.

Besides the FCFA 8.4 million, Takoungang disclosed that, Mani has equally disappeared with his FCFA 2.16 million.

Besides Takoungang, The Post further learnt that another money lender by name Awazi, is equally decrying the non-remittance into his account of FCFA 3 million he gave Mani to save in the bank.

The banker is said to have only registered the money in the contribution book of Awazi and not the computer system of the bank.

It is alleged that, Mani was using the private accounts of individuals to help relatives of ghost public service staff, most of whom are abroad to receive payments.