Press
Release
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Monday, June 9, 2014
arraigned Mohammed Abubakar Kent and Precious Otsu before Justice Sylvanus
Chinedu Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja on an 11-count
charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, personation, forgery and
obtaining money by false pretence.
The
suspects allegedly conspired and forged document in the name of Little Acorns
Turkey Project Limited and fraudulently defrauded the company to the tune of
N800m (Eight Hundred Million Naira) over a property development scheme at
Lokogoma, Abuja.
Count
one reads,
“that
you Mohammed Abubakar Kent, sometime in, 2011 at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial
Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did commit an
illegal to wit: theft of the sum of Three Hundred and Two Million Naira (N302,
000, 000.00) contrary to section 286 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 287 of the same
Code”.
Another count reads,
Another count reads,
“that
you Precious Otsu sometime between January 2005 and January 2012 at
Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory dishonestly permitted the illegal withdrawals of money from
the account of Little Acorns Turkey Project Limited in violation of the account
opening mandate and thereby committed criminal breach of trust contrary to
section 311 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)
1990 and punishable under section 312 of the same Code”.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charge preferred against them.
In view of their plea, counsel to EFCC, Onjefu Obe urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence and remand the accused persons in prison custody. However, counsel to the first and second accused, Edwin Inegedu and Dania Tony Abdullahi told the court that they had filed application for the bail of their clients saying, the offence is bailable.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charge preferred against them.
In view of their plea, counsel to EFCC, Onjefu Obe urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence and remand the accused persons in prison custody. However, counsel to the first and second accused, Edwin Inegedu and Dania Tony Abdullahi told the court that they had filed application for the bail of their clients saying, the offence is bailable.
The
prosecuting counsel, Obe, however objected on the ground that the accused
persons have failed to honour the terms of administrative bail earlier granted
them by the Commission. He also told the court that the bail application was
served on him on June 6, and that he needed time to respond.
Justice Oriji after listening to the submissions of counsel ordered the first and second accused persons to be remanded in Kuje and Suleja prison respectively.
The
case was adjourned to June 11, 2014 for hearing on the bail application.
Wilson
Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
9th June, 2014
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