EFCC arraigns Port Harcourt businessman for alleged N34m Fraud

The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned one Raymond Okemo before Justice H. A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on a 3-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and issuance of dud cheque.

Raymond allegedly induced a company, Fuidex Nigeria Limited, to confer a benefit on him by delivering some construction materials amounting to thirty four million, nine hundred and sixty thousand naira (34,960,000) on the pretext that he would pay the sum sixty days after delivery.

Despite the agreement signed by the parties and the invoice issued to that effect by Raymond on behalf of his company, Glovic Projects Development Company Limited, all efforts to get him to pay or return the goods at the expiration of the sixty days were abortive.

The accused pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

One of the counts reads, “that you Raymond Okemo and Glovic Project Development Company Limited sometimes in July 2011 at Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud did induce Fuidex Nigeria Limited to confer a benefit on you by delivering Steel plate, Angle Iron and Steel Pipes amounting to thirty four million nine hundred and sixty thousand naira(34,960.000.00) only on the pretext that you are to pay him the said sum sixty day after delivery and invoice, a pretext you knew to be false and cannot be acted upon and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(c)1(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section1(3) of the same Act”.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Ewoh, prayed the court for a date for commencement of trial. Defence counsel, Igbeke Amachree, made an oral bail application for the accused person. The court, however, directed that the bail application be presented formally.

The matter was adjourned to January 15, 2014 while the accused is to remain in prison pending the determination for his bail application.

Wilson Uwujaren
Ag. Head, Media and Publicity
22nd November, 2013