A 41-year-old Nigerian, Abiola Akinremi has been sentenced to seven months in prison in the United Kingdom (UK) for stealing N11.056 million (£20,000) from the savings of vulnerable residents.
According to Daily UK News on Thursday, January 12, 2023, the Nigerian, who has worked as an administrator at the facility in Bostall House in Abbey Wood, Old Bailey, in South East London, made dozens of illegal withdrawals from the bank account of patients.
The Old Bailey is a facility that shelters mental health residents under the Mental Health Act, and those without family support hand over control of their finances to administrators and caregivers.
The presiding judge, Angela Rafferty KC in her ruling said, “This was a repeated and planned course of conduct, and a very serious breach of trust of vulnerable people.”
Also, Prosecutor Robert Levack said, “People who live at the home are all vulnerable, they have various conditions and are detained under the Mental Health Act or other legislation. It is a 24-hour care facility.
“They are not allowed to leave Bostall House without a member of staff or a family member. Some have their financial affairs looked after by the home.”
Authorities initiated a probe into Akinremi’s fraudulent activities in November 2018, when £43,000 was missing from residents’ bank accounts, including £32,000 from one victim.
She had repudiated the accusations until the first day of her prosecution, insisting that other staff at the home were trying to “pin the blame” on her.
However, Akinremi admitted taking £19,650 over the period of eight months from three residents, adding that others at the home were also involved in misconduct.
Akinremi then pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by abuse of position, while Judge Rafferty rejected a plea for a suspended prison sentence, concluding only an immediate spell behind bars would be appropriate.