A nolle prosequi has been entered in the case in which Uyi Great Osunde a Nigerian medical student of the American University School of Medicine of St Vincent who was charged with deception in relation to a transaction in the sum of Ten Thousand dollars at the Bank of Nova Scotia, Kingstown branch, in December last year.
According to a release from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Osunde, who had just completed his studies here, was detained and arrested at the E.T.Joshua Airport on the December 17th, 2015, as he awaited a flight to Trinidad and Tobago.
His arrest followed a report made by the Bank of Nova Scotia that the Nigerian national had dishonestly obtained the sum of money the day before from an employee.
Osunde however stated that he had that day previously received money transferred to him via Western Union and had deposited $10,400.00 through the bank’s ABM at Halifax Street. He said that he wanted the money credited to his bank card, but when he learned that he would not
have immediate access to the money, he requested that he be refunded the whole sum, as he was leaving the country the next day.
Scotiabank had however stated that only a single $100.00 note was retrieved on the morning of December 17th, from Osunde .
Bank official initially claimed that checks indicated that the ABM machine would jam in the opening if one hundred notes were deposited at the same time, as Osunde said he did.
Based on the report made by Scotiabank, the Nigerian medical student was charged with dishonestly obtaining the sum of ten thousand dollars.
However the release said the bank now acknowledges that its earlier report of dishonesty against the Nigerian medical student may not be sustainable.
The Bank’s Manager Service and Support, Ralph G. Henry, who was present also at the first test of depositing funds through the ABM, in a further statement provided to the Crown, said that subsequent checks conducted earlier this month indicate that one hundred notes can be successfully deposited through the ABM – as Mr. Osunde claimed he did
Scotiabank also noted that based on a forensic audit conducted by a Canadian-based service provider, it was discovered that there was an excess of Nine Thousand Nine Hundred dollars in the machine; this sum corresponds to the precise difference between what Mr. Osunde said he deposited and what was found in the envelope.
Given that factual background, upon an application of the Full Code Test for Prosecutors, it was decided by the Director of Public Prosecutions to enter a nolle prosequi.
