Bank of NT Butterfield ex-employee Sanford Edward Seepersad admitted that he made unauthorised withdrawals amounting to $8,885 from a clients account in a civil hearing in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

During the hearing Magistrate William Francis exclaimed "You took advantage of an unsophisticated man - your actions were highly unprofessional" when hearing that Seepersad, 33, of Harrington Sound Road, Smith's, had made withdrawals from autobody shop owner Aaron Eugene Foggo's bank account without his knowledge between October 1997 and December 1998.

Mr. Foggo had trusted him because he had helped him to sort out his credit problems and in securing a business loan for almost $30,000.

Seepersad was imprisoned in February 2001 after he pleaded guilty to stealing from an elderly woman's loan account of which he was the administrator on October 18, 1998.

Ten other charges, totalling $8,344.45 were dropped by the prosecutor. His lawyer told the Magistrate he had lost his job with the bank and was receiving counselling.

The Bank of Butterfield have taken Seepersad to court for compensation, having paid compensation to Mr. Foggo - on Seepersad's behalf.

Mr. Foggo admitted he trusted Seepersad to handle his banking and never suspected that he was stealing from him, adding: "When I needed money I would go to him to ask and he would want to know what was the purpose of the money.

"At one time he told me that I didn't have enough money in my account to make a withdrawal of $800 - I didn't understand, it should've been more than that, because I was making deposits," said Mr. Foggo.

Lawyer Justin Wiliams - representing the Bank of Butterfield and Mr. Foggo - asked: "Did you question him?"

Mr. Foggo said: "No."

Mr. Foggo told the court that Seepersad and his wife - the couple are now divorced - had visited him and told him that the bank was trying to "pin something on" him and hurriedly asked Mr. Foggo to sign papers.

The documents - admitted into the case as evidence - that Mr. Foggo signed show he had given Seepersad the right to his account.

The next day after Mr. Foggo had signed the papers he telephoned Seepersad to find out why his signature was needed and questioned the hurried visit.

A month after he signed the papers Mr. Foggo I was contacted by the bank and asked to come in for a meeting.

"I told them that I was busy and that I would see them later in the week, the person then asked me if I was aware that someone was taking money out of my account," he said. "That is when I realised that Seepersad had been stealing from me."

Mr. Foggo denied signing nearly two dozen documents, but would only admit to signing two.

Several of the documents concern payments made into Seepersad's ex-wife's account, Skylene Enterprises.

Mr. Foggo told Mr. Williams that he had told friends what Seepersad was doing for him, and also how his friends told him not to trust him. But he said: "I bragged about our relationship, but now I know better."

Seepersad, defending himself, claimed he had a good relationship with Mr. Foggo, and how he had helped in paying his bills - by walking to BELCO "in the hot sun", opening an unauthorised overdraft facility of $5,000 and a checking account.

He said: "I was not working for the bank when I was helping Mr. Foggo, I was helping him to make his business successful."

Mr. Francis interjected: "I am going to be frank. You as a bank manager and him as an unsophisticated man - that was trusting - did you use him? Did he authorise you to do little things and you took a whole arm full?"

Seepersad admitted: "No."

Under crossexamination, Seepersad admitted that he had withdrawn funds from Mr. Foggo's account. But said he had been "authorised" explaining that it was compensation for a broken car windscreen. He also admitted paying phone and electricity bills immediately after transferring money.

Seepersad claimed the he was working on Mr. Foggo's behalf, but admitted to Mr. Williams that he should have had signed written authority for cash transactions, saying: "Yes, it is needed for all transactions."

The case was adjourned until September 23 when Mr. Francis will give his judgment.