A former financial controller of The Bank of The Bahamas pleaded not guilty on Wednesday after he was charged with stealing nearly $140,000 from the institution.
Police led Terry Gerard Murray, 44, to a magistrate’s court in handcuffs to answer to 14 counts of stealing by reason of employment.
It is alleged that the former banker was pinching funds from the bank over a four-month period. Authorities believe that bank’s funds were stolen between last November and this February.
Murray allegedly used his position as financial controller to steal $139,800 for private purposes.
According to court documents, it all started on November 2 when it is alleged that he stole as much as $9,500. Authorities allege that seven days later he illegally obtained another $14,350.
Over the next three months, according to the court documents, Murray stole amounts ranging between just over $4,000 and $17,500 on certain days.
The accused, who was closely guarded by police, stood in his long sleeved business shirt and dark blue pants as Magistrate Marilyn Meeres read the particulars of each count.
Magistrate Meeres granted him a $50,000 bail with two sureties and ordered him to return to court on July 12 for a preliminary inquiry.
If convicted, he could face a 10-year sentence for each count, which would run concurrently and the stolen funds would also have to be paid in full.
Murray joined the bank in 1997 and held the position of financial controller since September of that year, according to the bank’s website.
The website says that Murray worked in banking for more than 16 years. The bank has since hired a new financial controller.
Murray is a certified public accountant who has worked as a senior accountant with a public accounting firm and holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting, the website also says.
Inspector Ercell Dosette is the prosecutor in the case.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
