The
charge reads, “that you Joe C. Ndu, on or about the 29th
December 2011 in Owerri, Imo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High
Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Seven Million
Naira under the false pretence that you (and two others) have the mandate and
consent of the National Population Commission to sell National Population
Commission landed Property located at Plot 5028 Commercial Area, New Owerri,
Owerri, Imo State, covered by statutory certificate of Occupancy dated 27th
May 2011, registered as No. 90 page 90 volume of Lands Registry, Imo State
which pretence 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(13)of the same Act.
The
said plot was allegedly allocated to the Commission to build its Owerri office
by the Imo state government but by the time the Commission was ready to develop
the property, it was discovered that someone had taken over the land.
A
research at the Lands Registry Owerri revealed that the land had been
transferred by Joe C. Ndu, the suspect via Power of Attorney dated 29th
December, 2011, to one Emmanuel C. Eke. The sale of the property was conducted
after Ndu had completed his tenure as the Federal Commissioner representing Imo State
at the National Population Commission.
When
the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.
The
prosecuting counsel Mainforce Adaka Ekwu then asked the court to fix a date for
trial but counsel to the accused, N. A. Nnawuchi (SAN) urged the court to grant
bail to his client.
However,
Justice S.M. Shuiabu asked the defence counsel to present formal bail
application and remanded the accused in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the
bail application.
The
case was adjourned to October 30, 2013.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media and
Publicity
23rd
October, 2013
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