Team Herald
PANJIM: State Bank of India (SBI) has suspended a senior lady officer of its Bambolim branch as she was found to have exchanged over Rs 1 crore of old currency notes illegally.
SBI spokesperson of Goa Region, Carl D’Souza, confirmed that a lady officer has been suspended for her alleged role in exchanging old currency over a limit.
He said that bank officials are conducting an internal inquiry as no offence can be made out at the Police Station. “We are also looking at the serious aspect as to how the lady officer of bank had got such a huge number of old currency notes,” D’Souza said.
“The officer is presently under suspension and nothing can be revealed at this stage. Whatever appeared in media is partially right but partially incorrect,” he said.
Sources in the SBI Regional Office said that the amount which was exchanged is far more than what appeared in some media recently. Sources said that the lady officer is the wife of an officer in the Transport Department.
It has also been alleged the currency which has been exchanged was illegally secured by her husband. When contacted, Anti-Corruption Branch of Vigilance Department, said there is no communication from SBI to them. “Unless the inquiry which SBI is conducting proves the money was illegally secured by a public servant while misusing his official position and unless bank officials complain to us, we cannot act,” the officer said.
It has been learnt that many agents across the State are involved in exchanging old currency by retaining a margin of 30 to 40 percent.
Till now, none of the government agencies have been able to expose a single such case where old currency has been exchanged with new notes by discounting the amount.
