Man, 44, docked over alleged N11m fraud

THE police on Monday arraigned a 44-year-old businessman, who allegedly defrauded a pharmaceutical company of N11 million.

The defendant, Nonso Ezedinma, a resident of Emeka Anyaoku Street, Area 11, Abuja, is facing a three-count charge of stealing, obtaining under false pretences and cheating.

He was charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Prosecutor, ASP Benson Emuerhi, said that the defendant committed the offences sometime in January at Worldwide Commercial Ventures Ltd., Matori, Lagos.

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Emuerhi alleged that the defendant fraudulently obtained a pharmaceutical product known as Glucophage and worth N11 million from the company with a promise to pay for it.

Emuerhi said that the defendant deceived the company by issuing three United Bank of Africa dud cheques for N11 million.

“When the complainant presented the cheques, they were dishonoured due to insufficient fund in the defendant’s account.

“All efforts to reach the defendant on the phone proved abortive.

“The complainant reported the case to the police and Ezedinma was traced to his hideout where he was arrested,” the prosecutor said.

He submitted that the defendant had the intent to defraud the company.

Emuerhi said that the offences contravened Sections 287, 314 and 321 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

Section 314 prescribes 15-year jail term for obtaining under false pretences while Section 287 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for stealing.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olufunke Sule-Amzat, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Sule-Amzat said that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendant and have evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Further hearing in the case will be on Oct. 21.