A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted the former presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party, Chief Ambrose Owuru bail in the sum of ten million naira, (N10, 000, 000) and one surety who must be a lawyer of thirty years post call experience.
Justice Suleiman
Aliyu also ordered that the surety must swear an affidavit of means while the
accused undertake to be present in court throughout his trial.
Owuru was
arraigned on August 2, 2013 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC on a 5-count charge that borders on uttering, forgery and obtaining money
by false pretence. He allegedly obtained the sum of sixty-six million naira
(N66, 000,000.00) from one Ikechukwu Eze through a phony land deal.
The complainant
alleged that sometime in March 2011, he paid the sum of sixty million naira
(N60m) through Skye Bank, Olu
Obansanjo Road branch, Port
Harcourt, to Owuru for a property located at Amadi flat, Port Harcourt.
In the process
of taking possession of the property, it was discovered that a portion had been
sold to another person. At this point, Owuru allegedly asked for another N6m to
settle the other buyer which Eze allegedly obliged him.
One of the
counts read: "that you, Ambrose Owuru on or about the 7th day of March
2011 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable
court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Sixty Million Naira
(N60,000,000) from Ikechukwu Eze on the pretence that you have sold to him four
(4) plots of land situated at Plot 44A, Amadi Layout- Port Harcourt a pretext
which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section
1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and
punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act".
Another count
reads; "that you, Ambrose Owuru on or about the 7th day of March 2011 at
Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court,
did utter a forged "Certificate of Occupancy" dated 20th of March
1990 purportedly issued by the Rivers State Lands and Survey covering Plot 44A
Amadi Layout, Port Harcourt and thereby committed an offence contrary to
section 1(2) ( c ) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition
(Law of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007, and punishable under section 1(2) of
the same Act".
He pleaded not
guilty to all the charges.
Justice Aliyu
adjourned the case till October 10, 2013 for commencement of trial. The court
also ordered that the accused person be remanded in the EFCC custody until he
perfects his bail conditions.
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