EQUITY BANK SCANDAL DEEPENS, GAL’S LAWYERS WRITE TO BANK: ‘YOUR ACTIONS AMOUNTS TO FRAUD, REFUND OUR CLIENT’S MONEY & PAY FOR DAMAGES OR FACE COURT’

PHOTO: Equity Bank, Church House, Kampala, Uganda

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA

LAWYERS of Mugarura, Kwarisiima & Co. Advocates acting on the instructions of a one Namatovu Angella whose money was withdrawn from her bank account without her consent has written to Equity Bank Uganda Ltd a demand notice cum notice of intention to sue.
In a two pager demand notice received by Equity Bank Uganda, lawyers say, “Our instructions are, to demand as we hereby do, that you refund our client’s money, to a tune of Ug. Shs. 5,126,421/= ( Five million one hundred twenty six thousand four hundred twenty one shillings), pay our client in special and general damages amounting to Ug. Shs. 5,000,000/= (Five million shillings) as well as our legal fees of Ug. Shs. 2,000,000/= (Two Million Shillings) and provide a public apology to our client.”

“Should you fail to heed to our demand within 7 days from of the date of receipt of this letter, we shall have no other choice but to institute civil proceedings against you.” Reads a demand notice cum intention to sue.
Lawyers have notified Equity Bank Uganda that, “It is well within your knowledge that on the 18th June and 20th June 2022, our client’s bank account with you, vide acc. No. 1010100909543 was debited in the sums of Ug. Shs. 2,330,192/= (two million three hundred thirty thousand one hundred ninety one shillings), Ug. Shs. 2, 330,199/= (two million three hundred thirty thousand one hundred ninety one shillings) and Ug. Shs. 466,039/= (Four hundred sixty six thousand thirty nine shillings) respectively.”
Lawyers have told Equity Bank that, their client upon discovery of loss of her money from her account, she contacted her bank for rectification of the issue or a solution, wherein they informed her that the three transactions through which the money was deducted were conducted online using her debit card number 4860xxxx9407 via a “Zazu Africa limited” (merchant)website.
“Our client has never signed up to use her bank account for online transactions or any online banking service.” Lawyers reminded Equity Bank Uganda.
They said, “You further informed our client that she had authorised those transactions through her purported telephone number “267 788 286 750″. That has never been our client’s telephone number. (A copy of the response is attached for your ease of response).”
Lawyers say, the loss of their client’s funds through unsolicited online transactions well aware that she had never registered her account for any online transactions is based on Equity Bank.
This coupled with unclear answers in handling the issue, lawyers say, has shown a high level of negligence by Equity Bank in handling their client’s funds, as well as breach of the banker-customer relationship.
“Your actions also amount to fraud, as you have unreasonably deprived our client of her money banked with your entity for which we hold you liable.” Reads the demand notice cum intention to sue.
On several occasions, lawyers have revealed that their client has written to Equity Bank and made various phone calls to try and have her money refunded on her account, but this bank has remained adamant to do the same and they have ignored Namatovu Angella’s phone calls.
“Our client has made various losses and has found it hard providing medical care for her sick mother who is due to undergo surgery and as a result of your actions, you are liable to damages.” Reads a demand notice to Equity Bank signed by Mugarura, Kwarisiima & Co. Advocates.
Yesterday, Equity Bank Uganda released a statement of defence saying their client (Namatovu Angella) reported to them how a suspected fraudulent withdraw of funds from my account between June 18th to 20th, 2022 amounting to 5.1M in 3 installments, ”using her card”. 
Bank said, “Card transactions approval is made using card details and a one time password which is sent to registered mobile phone.”
However, Namatovu rubbished Equity Bank’s defence. In her statement released today and shared on social media, Namatovu Angella said, Equity Bank Uganda should stop telling lies and instead refund her money so that she can foot medical bills for her sick mum.
Namatovu’s statement reads, “Dear members of Public, yesterday I read lies in a statement released by Equity Bank Uganda in reference to fraud in their bank i complained about when money was withdrawn from my account without my consent on June 18th and 20th, 2022.”
Namatovu said, after public rants about Equity Bank Uganda for the increasing fraud on clients’ accounts where a number of people have complained that their money is being stolen from their accounts, her case being the most recent, Equity Bank thought by telling lies in a statement released, it will help to clear their image. 
“Their image can only be cleared by vomiting my money so that I can take my sick mum for the scheduled operation. They showed a degree of careless, how can money be stolen from a client’s account who entrusted you with its safety?” She asked.
Namatovu denies ever reporting to Equity Bank Uganda that money was withdrawn from her bank account using her ATM card.
“I clearly told them, I am always in possession of my card and no one, be it my sick mum knows where I keep it or even my pin number. The complaint I logged to Equity Bank Uganda, to Bank of Uganda, to CID Headquarters, to KMP and other security organs was very clear. My money which I kept with Equity Bank was withdrawn under unclear circumstances which the Bank MUST explain without hiding their heads under the sand.” Reads her statement in response to the statement released by Equity Bank, yesterday.
She said, Equity bank told her how someone in Zambia bought electrical goods from Zazu Africa limited using her card, calling it total madness because she has never travelled outside the country.
“So how did someone in sijui Zambia hoodwink Equity Bank and they give him or her client’s money? That put aside, who is stealing customers’ money in Equity Bank from their clients’ accounts? How come, such cases are very common with Equity Bank alone? She asked.

Referring to recent media reports about a number of Equity Bank clients whose money was deducted from their accounts without their consent, Namatovu said, It ended when Equity Bank had vomited the money.
“Therefore, the only thing Equity Bank has to do to be out of this circus, is by putting back my money and also, work on the security of clients’ money. Let them stop their foul play.” Namatovu’s statement reads.   
She asked Equity bank to stop playing with her mother’s life using their ping pong statements. 
“And call upon the public to disregard statement released by Equity Bank Uganda, for it is based on nothing but lies. I will continue demanding for justice using all legal methods and I thank the general public for standing with me. Today it’s me, tomorrow they will chop your money, similar way.” Namatovu said in her trending statement exposing fraud in Equity Bank Uganda.

Read also: CID H’QUATER OVERWHELMED BY COMPLAINTS FROM EQUITY BANK CLIENTS OVER FRAUD IN THE BANK AS A GAL WHOSE MONEY WAS STOLEN CONTINUES TO BITE

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