VASCO: The Verna police arrested Thomas Barreto, former branch manager of Goa State Co-operative Bank Ltd on the charge of misappropriating Rs 10 lakh. Barreto, 51 is a resident of Borim-Ponda and he was the branch manager at the bank's Cortalim branch when the misappropriation of funds took place in 2015. Managing Director of GSCB, head office, Panaji, Anant Chodankar had filed a complaint against Barreto stating that he allegedly fraudulently withdrew cash from the account of a loanee Vivekanand Divkar of Cortalim. Divkar had applied for a loan of Rs 10 lakh and the same was sanctioned by the bank and the amount was deposited in his saving's bank account. But the accused allegedly used some self signed cheques by allegedly forging Divkar's signature and withdrew the cash from his account at different occasions without the knowledge of the account holder. When Divkar realised that he had not received his money despite loan been sanctioned, he enquired with the bank officials, who told him that the loan amount had been sanctioned. The bank then ordered an inquiry.
Following the inquiry it was found that the branch manager had allegedly fraudulently withdrawn the cash from Divkar's account by using the self single cheques. Later, the managing director of the bank placed Thomas Barreto under suspension and filed a police complaint in 2017. The Verna police registered a case against Thomas Barreto under section 408 of IPC and arrested him on Friday night. Baretto was produce before the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Vasco, who remanded him in two days police custody. PSI Shridhar Kamat is conducting further investigations under the guidance of Verna PI Harish Madkaikar.