Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) have re-arraigned a former banker with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and an auto spare-parts dealer, Amechi Osita, before a Lagos Federal High Court over an alleged fraud of N66, 450, 000 million.
Their arraignment followed the transfer of the matter to a new Judge, Justice Abimbola O. Awogboro, who is hearing the charges against them for the first time.
The duo were first arraigned on August 22, 2016, before Justice Abdulaziz Anka, who is now sitting in another jurisdiction of the court.
Following Justice Anka’s transfer, the matter was transferred to Justice Saliu Saidu, who recently retired from the Bench.
When the matter came up on Friday,the prosecutor, Mr Daniel Apochi, urged the court to retake the plea of the defendants since the matter is coming up for the first time before the new Judge.
But counsel to the defendants, Mr Victor Nwachukwu and Opeyemi Adekoya, did not oppose the application.
The court ordered that the charge be read to the defendants for their pleas to be retaken.
The defendants maintained their not-guilty plea.
Justice Awogboro,in her ruling,admitted the defendants to bail. and adjourned the matter till November 1 and 2, 2021, for commencement of trial.
PSFU in charge number: FHC/L/339c/2016, alleged that the defendants in or before March 2015, conspired among themselves with one Okoli Chigozie Kingsley (now at large) and fraudulently obtained the sum of N66, 450, 000 million from a company, Logicvantage & Trust Limited, under false presentation that the money will be converted to United States dollars.
They were also alleged to have stolen the said amount after it was converted to $300, 000.
