A 40-year-old man, Iheanyi Iroegbu, has been arraigned before a Yaba Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State, for allegedly defrauding a petroleum company, Dappa Marine Services, of N30m.
The incident was said to have occurred in March, 2008 at Apapa area of Lagos when the defendant allegedly obtained 1,337, 157 metric tonnes of petroleum product from the company and loaded them in a vessel marked ‘MT PROGRESS’.
He allegedly promised to sell the product and pay the proceeds to the company. The police said the defendant later issued a dud Oceanic (now Eco) Bank Cheque valued N30m to the company, which was dishonoured.
It was learnt that from January 2008 to December 2012, Iroegbu was said to have issued six different dud cheques worth N15m to the company.
The police arraigned Iroegbu on nine counts of receiving goods under false pretence, stealing and fraud.
The charge read in part, “That you, Iheanyi Iroegbu, on the 12th day of March, 2008 at Apapa in the Lagos Magisterial District, with intent to defraud, did obtain from Dappa Marine Services 1,337,159 metric tonnes of petroleum product (Automative Gas Oil) valued at N30,000000.00 (Thirty Million Naira) loaded in MT PROGRESS vessel by false pretences that you are in a position to sell and pay the proceeds to the company, a representation you knew to be false.
“That you, Iheanyi Iroegbu, m, on the 16th day of January, 2008 at Apapa in the Lagos Magisterial District with intent to defraud did knowingly issue Zenith Bank Cheque serial number 28586884 to Capt. David P. Arikawei,m, of the sum of N10,000000.00 (Ten Million Naira) and when presented for payment, it was dishonoured as a result of lack of sufficient funds and/or money in your account.”
The prosecutor, Inspector Chris Takim, said the defendant had breached Sections 312, 285(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011, and Section 1(i) (b) (i) of the Dishonoured (Cheque Offences) Act. Cap. 102, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The magistrate, Mrs Bola Folarin-Williams, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum.
The matter was adjourned till November 4 for mention.
No comments:
Post a Comment