Businessman Arraigned For Dud Cheque
As Currency Counterfeiter Bags Seven Years Jail Term
Navy Hands Over 7 Suspected Oil Thieves, Two Vessels to EFCC
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, (THEWILL) â€' The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday arraigned one Igwilo Emeka Henry before Justice Chudi Nwankwor of the Anambra State High Court, Onitsha on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and issuance of dud cheque.
The accused who is a trader allegedly made a deposit of two hundred thousand naira (N200, 000.00) to Party West Nigeria Limited to facilitate the release of goods worth Three Million Naira to him. The goods were released on trust, with the understanding that the balance would be paid within two weeks. At the expiration of the deadline, the suspect issued the company a UBA cheque No. 14725821 for Two Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N2.8M). The cheque was however returned unpaid due to insufficient funds in the account.
The charge reads, 'Igwilo Emeka Henry, on or about the 30th day of June, 2012 in Onitsha within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Onitsha, Anambra State with intend to defraud, knowingly and fraudulently issued a United Bank for Africa (UBA) Cheque No, 14725821 dated 30th June, 2012 in the sum of Two Million, Eight Hundred Naira (2,800.000.00) to Party West Nigeria Limited which when presented for payment within three months of issuance was dishonoured on the ground of insufficient funds in the account on which the cheque was drawn and thereby committed an offence'.
The offence Contrary to section 1(1) (a) of the Dishonoured Cheques Offences Act, Cap D11, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and punishable under section 1 (1) (b) (i) of the same Act'.
The accused was remanded in prison custody and the case adjourned to June 2, 2014 for hearing of bail application.
Also, Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court Kano Friday sentenced one Mohammed Basiru Abdulkadir to seven years imprisonment for offences bordering on currency counterfeiting.
The convict was arraigned on May 28, 2014 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 5-count charge bordering on possession of counterfeit currency. He pleaded guilty to all five counts when they were read to him and was consequently convicted by Justice Riman but the case was adjourned to today for sentencing.
When proceedings resumed Friday, Justice Riman sentenced Mohammed to five month imprisonment on count one, two and three with no option of fine while he is to serve three years imprisonment with option of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine on count four. On count five he was sentenced to three years imprisonment with option of N100, 000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
Meanwhile, seven suspected oil thieves and two vessels, MT CERGEN D and MT RHEINFELDEN, have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and prosecution by officers of the Central Command of the Nigerian Navy in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Commodore Bamidupe Babagbale who represented the Navy at the brief ceremony on May 28, said that the vessels were arrested at different times by his team. He revealed that the team discovered that the first vessel which name was altered from MT MARIA BROSSUM to MT CERGEN D, was arrested on March 18, 2014 at Fish Town loaded with 2,356,000 litres of cargo suspected to be stolen crude oil, and six crew members: Dauda Usman, Adelaja David, Alowakenu Mathew, Edelman Bayo, Ogja Aghedo, Adedara Tope.
At the time of arrest, the crew members allegedly had no approval to lift crude oil.
The second vessel, MT RHEINFELDEN, was arrested on April 19, 2014 around Akassa carrying 849,612 tons of illegally refined automotive gas oil, AGO. Aboard the vessel was one Salami Kazeem (chief officer).
The suspects and the vessels were received on behalf of the EFCC by a Senior Detective Superintendent, Olayinka Macaulay.