A Taishin International Bank financial consultant was detained yesterday for allegedly stealing about NT$300 million (US$10.37 million) from at least three clients over the past 10 years to make personal investments, police said.
The consultant, surnamed Chou (周), 41, worked at the bank’s branch in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和) for 10 years before being sacked over the alleged embezzlment, police said.
Chou allegedly since June 2010 had on multiple occasions asked clients interested in purchasing financial products to put their personal seal on or sign blank forms that gave him access to their bank accounts, claiming that the forms were meant to “expedite the executive procedures,” police said.
Chou allegedly transferred clients’ money to accounts belonging to friends or relatives before eventually moving it to his own, they said.
A preliminary investigation indicated that Chou used the money to invest in futures and buy luxury items, including a Mercedes-Benz, and made repeated deductions from clients’ funds, police said.
The case came to light after some clients informed the bank of abnormal transactions in their accounts, prompting the bank to try to contact Chou on Thursday, police said.
However, the bank could not reach him at home, they said.
After barring Chou from leaving the country, staff from the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and police broke into his home in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽) about midnight on Saturday, police said.
Chou was found hiding in the home and was detained, they said.
A Mercedes-Benz, 25 bank passbooks, 20 credit cards, 12 mobile phones, six ATM cards, five laptops and paper documents linked to the alleged thefts were among the items confiscated during the raid, they said.
Chou was transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation of contravening the Banking Act (銀行法) and the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), as well as embezzlement, fraud and document forgery, the police said.
Taishin International Bank yesterday said that it had launched an immediate investigation after it was notified by clients about abnormalities in their accounts.
The bank said it had filed a report of “significant accidental event” with the Financial Supervisory Commission.
It also vowed to safeguard its clients’ rights.
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