Car dealer threatens LG Boss with EFCC over car debt

THE Chairman of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, Mr Bellow Bina, is being asked by a Lagos based automobile dealer,  Ifeanyi Okafor, to pay an alleged N2 million debt else the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will be sought to recover the money.

The alleged N2million is the outstanding balance for the purchase of a Range Rover Sports Jeep 2008 model that he bought four years ago.

Okafor, through his lawyer, Mr Bamidele Ogundele, in a demand letter, a copy of which was sent to the Governor of Bayelsa State, the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs in Bayelsa state and the Chairman of the EFCC, is asking the Brass local government chairman to redeem the debt, failure of which he threatened to go to EFCC.

Bina according to Okafor’s legal representative issued a UBA cheque number 04341636 on August 6, 2013 as balance payment for the jeep but the cheque was dishonoured on August 7, 2013 and marked ‘DHR’ at the bank.

Ogundele, in the letter of demand written to Mr Bina dated April 11, 2017 stated that the cheque given to his client “was dishonoured and returned unpaid because there was no sufficient fund in your (Bina) account or in alternative you fraudulently used the cheque to obtain the goods under false pretence”.

Ogundele reminded Mr Bina that “the act of offering dud cheques for credit, goods and services is an offence under section 1(1) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offence) Act, Cap 11, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004”.

He stated that as Brass council Chairman, he is not immune from prosecution, adding that he was compelled to copy the governor of the state because of the alleged negative attitude of Mr Bina to his client for record purposes.

“Except we receive positive response for the payment of the outstanding sum of N2 million for the purchase and  delivery of the  Range Rover Sports (2008) Jeep within two weeks from receipts of this letter of demand, we shall set criminal machinery in motion through the EFCC, Abuja with all its attendant criminal consequences,” he added.

Attempts to reach Mr Bina on his MTN line 07034811111 was futile as he did not pick the call, neither did he respond to text messages sent to his line.