The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fraud

  • Absence of defendants stalls arraignment of bank MD, others over alleged $6.3million fraud

    The arraignment of Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe and eight others by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of Nigeria Police over alleged $6.3million fraud was stalled ON Thursday at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja due to the absence of some the defendants.

    Wigwe is standing trial alongside Cast Oil and Gas Limited, Seyi Sanni, Adekunle Adebayo, Access Bank Plc, Titi Oshontoki, Chinyere Bishop-Adigwe, Sunny Amos Affiong and Augusta Energy Nigeria Limited for allegedly defrauding former Petroleum Minister, Chief Don Etiebet through his company Top Oil and Gas Development Limited.

    They are facing a four- count charge offence brought against them by the SFU before Justice Hakem Oshodi.

    The SFU, in the charge, alleged the defendants and Augusta Energy of Geneva Switzerland (still at large) between January and December 2015, in Lagos, fraudulently induced Top Oil and Gas Development Limited, to invest about $6.3m in the supply of a 10,000 metric tonnes of Automative Gas Oil, Ago.

    The police alleged the defendants converted the AGO to personal use and benefits after taking delivery of the petroleum product.

    The charge reads in part : “That you Cast Oil & Gas Ltd, Seyi Sanni, Adekunle Adebayo, Access Bank “Plc, Herbert Wigwe, Titi Oshontoki, Chinyere BishopAdigwe, Sunny Amos Offiong, Augusta Energy Nig. Ltd.–ancl Tunji Amushan (-at large) between January and December, 2015, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by deceit, conspired with one another and with Augusta Energy of Geneva, Switzerland, to defraud Top Oil & Gas Development Ltd., to the tune of over 6.3miilion United States of America Dollars.’

    However, during proceedings, the Managing Director of the bank and four other defendants were absent in court.

    Counsel to the bank’s MD, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) informed the court of a pending application dated April 30, 2019 filed on behalf of his client challenging the jurisdiction of the court to determine the matter.

    Responding, counsel to the Police, Emmanuel Jackson objected to the application.

    Jackson told the court that he had not been served the application.

    At this stage, the trial judge, Justice Oshodi instructed Usoro to serve him a copy in court.

    Justice Oshodi however observed that the proceeding cannot go on since all the defendants were not in court.

    He subsequently adjourned the case till June 3, 2019 for hearing of the preliminary objection raised by the defence.

  • Car dealer bags five years for N19.8m fraud

    An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos Tuesday sentenced a self-proclaimed car dealer, Adamson Oladimeji Mustapha, to five years imprisonment for stealing Nl9.8million from a United States-based businessman, Olusegun Adesanya.

    Chief Magistrate Adetokunbo Omoyele convicted Mustapha on one count of stealing contrary to Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Mrs. Omoyele discharged Mustapha of four other counts of conspiracy, stealing and bail jumping on the ground that they were not proven by the prosecution.

    The court also gave the convict an option of avoiding imprisonment by paying a N5million fine.

    “This judgment takes effect from the date of sentence,” Chief Magistrate Omoyele added.

    The Police Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, arraigned Mustapha, 40, of 5, Adebola Ojomu Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos on April 22, 2013, before Mrs E. N. Johnson on a charge marked L/12/A/2013.

    The matter started denovo (afresh) in 2016 and Mustapha was re-arraigned for the same offences before Chief Magistrate Omoyele.

    He pleaded “not guilty.”

    Inspector Cyriacus Osuji told the court that between 2005 and 2011 in Lagos and Ogun states, Mustapha, with intent to commit a felony conspired with accomplices at large, and obtained several vehicles under false pretence from Adesanya.

    “He obtained six assorted vehicles valued at N12, 693,000 under the pretext that he was a car dealer from the complainant.

    READ ALSO: How my wife’s friend lured me into internet fraud

    “On the same date and at the same time, he obtained the sum of N3, 520,000 under the pretext that he was a dealer and he would use the sum to buy vehicles for the complainant.”

    The fourth charge, for which Mustapha was convicted, accused him of stealing the N19.8m, property of Adesanya, through false pretence.

    Osuji added: “Within the same period, the defendant, at the Force Intelligence Bureau Force Headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos, being a suspect in a case of conspiracy and stealing reported by Justus Olusegun Adesanya, with intent to prevent, pervert and obstruct the cause of justice, jumped police administrative bail granted to him.”

    He said the offences contravened Sections 93(3), 205, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

  • Navy tackles fraud

    The Navy has intensified measures to eliminate fraud within its budgetary system, in line with the anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government.

    The Naval Chief of Accounts and Budget, Commodore K.M. Bushi, has been deployed in the naval headquarters and bases to educate officers in charge of account and budget on the new strategies to deepen transparency in the system.

    Bushi and his team of professional accountants at the weekend held a training session with the principal staff officers at the Headquarters, Logistics Command, Oghara, Delta State.

    The team, which exposed accountants in the command to the modern drive of prudent management of resources, was received by the Chief Staff Officer, Logistics Command, Rear Admiral Jaso Gbassa.

    The Acting Director, Directorate of Non-Public Fund, Acting Assistant, Director of Budget and other officers of the directorate in the command attended the training.

    Bushi stressed the need for professionalism and strict adherence to ethics in handling naval accounting system.

    He said the        Navy must key into the new drive for prudent management of resources, to ensure zero tolerance for corruption.

    Bushi said: “I just deem it fit to talk to my accountants in the Navy so that we key into the modern drive of prudent management of resources at all levels. So, I decided to go out to educate them on the need for professionalism and upholding the ethic of professional accounting in the Navy.

    “I think with the training, the accountants are well mobilised in making sure that financial records are properly kept and the ethics of professional accounting are upheld. It will make an impact in the manners and ways we mobilise our funds.                                                    “Of course, what we are doing is to make sure that crimes are not committed. This is why we go round to sensitise them so that at the grassroots, the clerks, accountants and all the people involved in keeping financial records are kept abreast of the accounting standard. This will enable us to ensure that we keep fraud free from our records.”                                  Gbassa said the military was built around personnel, who must be well trained to understand the reason for being separate from the larger society and give up their freedom and their lives to serve the nation.

    Hailing Bushi for the new measures, Gbassa explained that guided by strict rules and regulations, the Navy would never joke with training of its personnel for optimum performance.

    He said: “We want to see improved performance. We want to see adherence to guidelines. We want to see a system without fraud. But if there is, it should be minimal and easily detected.

    “We want to see personnel who are self-improved and who work according to laid down principles. That way the finances of the Navy can be accounted for at every stratum of our operations.”

  • Man remanded in prison for alleged fraud

    A chief Magistrates Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has ordered the remand in prison custody of a 35-year-old man, David Dawari for alleged fraud.

    Dawari allegedly defrauded one Micheal Prosper of a cash sum of N520, 000 promising to get him a United States of America (USA) Visa.

    The suspect also allegedly forged the USA Visa for his victim without his knowledge.

    READ ALSO: EFCC nabs five internet fraud suspects in Uyo

    Court document obtained by the Nation in Port Harcourt alleged that the accused committed the fraud number 6 Okhoroma Street Rumuigbo, in Obio/Akpor Local government Area of the state, on February 6, 2029.

    The three-count charge of fraud was not read to him; hence, he did not take any plea.

    Presiding Magistrate, Sokari Andrew-Jaja, said the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter and ordered parties to address the court on the issue of bail.

    Jaja also ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

    He adjourned till April 23.

  • Man convicted of fraud by EFCC gets four months jail term

    Justice P. I. Ajoko, of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, has sentenced Ogundiran Tosin Iyanu to four-month imprisonment.

    Ogundiran was found guilty of a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, and sentenced yesterday.

    The convict, who earlier pleaded not guilty on December 16, 2018, later changed his plea to guilty.

    His latest plea led to an amendment of the charge and re-arraignment on March 5, on a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act.

    Read also: EFCC: Akingbola used Intercontinental Bank’s N10b to clear personal debt

    The charge sheet reads: “That you Ogundiran Tosin Iyanu and Ayomide Balogun (at large) on or about April 5, 2018 at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this court with intent to defraud, obtained N282,500 only from Adeyemi Adejumo, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38 Laws of Nigeria, 2004.”

    After considering the merit of the charge and the evidence as presented by the prosecution counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, the judge, convicted and sentenced the defendant to four-month imprisonment with effect from the date of his arraignment.

     

     

  • Two women docked over alleged N334, 000 fraud

    Two women were yesterday brought before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over allegations of N334, 000 fraud.

    The defendants, Tatiana Dike, 41, and Adenike Freeman, 74, who live in Surulere are being tried on a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraudulently obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

    The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Jan. 21 at No. 8 Adenowo Str., Ikate Surulere.

    “The defendants obtained N337, 000 from one Esther Okwara under the pretext of renting a mini flat apartment at No. 8 Adenowo Street, Ikate Surulere,” Osayande said.

    She submitted that the defendants, who were alleged to have deliberately swindled Okwara, failed to procure the apartment as promised.

    The prosecutor said that offences contravened Sections 287, 314 and 325 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oluyemisi Adelaja, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety each in like sum.

    Adelaja said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government.

    She adjourned the case until March 18 for mention.

  • Microfinance Bank chief jailed four years for fraud

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced Integrated Microfinance Bank Ltd Managing Director Simon Ademola Akinteye to four years imprisonment for $166 million fraud.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun found him guilty of eight-count charge filed against him by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Federal Ministry of Justice.

    The judge sentenced Akinteye to four years on each of the counts, to run concurrently.

    She, however, gave the convict an option of N16million fine – N2 million on each count.

    Justice Olatoregun acquitted and discharged the convict’s co-accused, Gabriel Adepoju, who was charged with diverting over N22 million from the bank to Gad Press Ltd.

    The prosecution alleged that Akinteye recklessly approved credit facilities of $166 million and N33 million to Mrs. Temitope Muhammed Imam without collateral.

    Akinteye was said to have at different times withdrawn N11 million from the bank’s account and diverted it into his company account named Deblad Nigeria Ltd.

    He was also said to have unlawfully withdrawn $166 million and paid it into Imam’s account domiciled with Citi Bank in New York.

    Prosecuting counsel Mrs. Ndidi Glady Ezinwa-Ukuba said the offence was contrary to sections 18 (1)(a), 18(3) and 15(1)(a)(I) of Banks and other Financial Institution Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under sections 18(2) and 16(1)(a) of the same Act.

    Before their arraignment on May 18, 2016, the defendants’ lawyer, A. O. Sheriff, through a preliminary objection, urged the court to dismiss the charge.

    It was on the grounds that the defendants had earlier been acquitted and discharged by Justice Okon Abang on similar charges.

    But Justice Olatoregun dismissed the objection on the grounds that the facts in the charges were not the same.

     

  • Complainant’s absence stalls N39.7m fraud trial

    Trial of a 38-year-old self-acclaimed building contractor, Dehinbo Olatunji, accused of obtaining N39.7 million under false pretenses, was on Thursday stalled due to absence of the complainant in court.

    The defendant, whose residential address was not given, is facing trial before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing preferred against him.

    When the case came up for trial, the complainant was absent and the Magistrate, Mrs Folashade Botoku, could not proceed.

    Botoku granted the defendant bail of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

    The magistrate said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government which must be verified.

    She then adjourned the case until March 25 for mention.

    Read also: Different strokes for different states

    Police prosecutor, Inspector Ibrahim Haruna, had earlier told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometimes in June 2018 at Wasimi, Maryland in Lagos.

    Haruna said that Olatunji obtained N39.7 million from the complainant, Emmanuel Sunday, under the guise of using the money to complete a building project for him, but failed to do so.

    The prosecutor said that the money was paid into the defendant’s Zenith Bank account.

    The offences contravene Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

     

  • Alleged N3.6b fraud: Defendant gets leave to travel overseas

    A former Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Francis Momoh, standing trial for alleged N3.6 billion fraud, yesterday secured leave of a Federal High Court in Lagos to undergo medical trip overseas.

    Momoh alongside Tuoyo Omatsuli and two companies, Don Parker Properties Ltd. and Building Associates Ltd. are being tried for alleged fraud.

    On November 28 last year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the defendants on a 45-count charge, bordering on corruption, gratification, fraud and money laundering.

    The prosecution alleged that the defendants committed the offences between August 2014 and September 2015.

    The first defendant (Omatsuli) was said to have secured the services of the third and fourth defendants (Momoh and Building Associates) to utilise N3.6 billion paid by Starline Consultancy Services Ltd. into the fourth defendant’s account.

    The prosecution alleged that both third and fourth defendants ought to have known that the said sums, formed part of the proceeds of their unlawful activities, which include corruption and gratification.

    The court had granted the defendants bail after they pleaded not guilty to the offences.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, Mr. George Chia-yakua appeared for the prosecution, while Messrs A. Aguda-Kehinde and Norrison Quakers, both senior advocates, appeared for the defendants.

     

     

     

  • Man arraigned for alleged fraud

    A 47-year-old man, Opeoluwa Okusaga, has been arraigned at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for alleged fraud.

    The accused was alleged to have issued a Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) cheque number 61840952 to the value of over N600,000 to Fredrick Ohemu, a representative of Laves Hotels, Rumuagholu Road, Port Harcourt, which was dishonoured on presentation at the bank for insufficient funds in the account.

    A document obtained from the court alleged that the accused lodged in the hotel between September 3, 2018 and January 10, 2019 and deliberately issued the fake cheque in attempt to defraud the hotel.

    He pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of dishonoured cheque slammed on him.

    Counsel to the accused applied for bail and the court presided over by Magistrate Sokari Andrew-Jaja obliged.

    He granted N100,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Jaja adjourned till February 12.