EFCC Arraigns Businesswoman for N35m Fraud

EFCC Arraigns Businesswoman for N35m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, September 25, 2017 arraigned one Ifeyinwa Nnanna before Justice U.P. Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on two counts bordering on obtaining by false pretence, misappropriation of funds and dishonest conversion.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Ifeyinwa Cynthia Nnanna, sometime in February 2014, in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, did obtain the sum of $74,000 (about N25.9 million) cash from one Princess Miriam Onuoha as payment for two 40ft containers of diapers, which you pretended were awaiting clearance at Lagos Port which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

Nnanna was also alleged to have received N9,050,684 from Onuoha, but “converted it” to her use, an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Act 1990.

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the counts.

In view of the plea, the prosecution counsel, Hussaina Gambo, urged the court to give a date for trial to commence.

The defense counsel, Chioma Sylvia Ezechukwu, however, moved an application for bail and prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail on “liberal terms”.

“My lord, she is presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, and the charges brought against her are bailable,” she said.

While not opposing the bail application, Gambo urged the court to ensure “strict terms”, to ensure the attendance of the defendant in court.

Justice Kekekemeke, thereafter, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a serving director in the Federal Civil Service or “holder of occupancy” residing in Abuja.

The case has been adjourned to November 9 for “commencement of trial”.
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Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media and Publicity