Bonn, Germany - A bank manager described by the media as "Robin Hood with a computer" was given a suspended, 22-month prison term Monday in Germany for borrowing from the rich to help the poor. The branch manager, 62, who has now joined the ranks of the poor herself, never took a cent for herself during the years she manipulated customers' bank accounts. When poor customers went into debt, she granted them overdrafts in breach of bank policy.
Whenever auditors were checking the accounts, she borrowed money from rich customers to temporarily hide the deficits, then used her computer to slip the money back to the large depositors before they noticed that anything was missing.
She was convicted on 117 charges of misappropriation at the bank on the outskirts of Bonn. Investigators discovered that she improperly laid hands on 7.6 million euros from 2003-05.
Her lawyer, Thomas Ohm, disclosed the conviction and sentence outside the court.
The misdeeds came to light when some customers ran up such enormous debts that it became impossible to repay the rich. A court spokesman said that the net loss amounted to 1.1 million euros.
She lost her job and was presented with the bill, leaving her with only enough monthly income for rent, food and utilities. Ohm said she considered her sentence entirely appropriate and would not be appealing, as she felt justice had been done.
