EFCC Charges Globacom Over Alleged $6.7m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos zonal office, on Monday, April 16, 2018, charged Globacom Limited alongside its Chief Marketing Officer, Ashok Israni, an Indian, before Justice A.O. Williams of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja with a one-count charge bordering on fraud to the tune of $6,786,674.61.

The count reads: “Ashok Israni and Globacom, sometime in 2008, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, induced Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to confer benefit on you by permitting Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC to provide you with Blackberry solutions services valued at USD 6, 786,674.64 on the understanding that the benefit will be paid for, which pretence you knew to be false.”

The offence is contrary to Section 1(2) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.

The defendants were, however, absent in court.

The prosecuting counsel, A.B.C. Oziokor, expressed regrets over the inability of the prosecution to produce the defendants, adding that “As part of efforts to ensure that trial commences, we brought the complainants all the way from Dubai.

He, therefore, prayed the court for a date to arraign the defendants. Consequently, Justice Williams adjourned the case till May 15, 2018.