• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
  • E-Book
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
  • E-Book
Home Anti-Corruption €2.5bn Fraud: EFCC Presents First Witness over 1994 Case
  • Anti-Corruption

€2.5bn Fraud: EFCC Presents First Witness over 1994 Case

By
Tony Orilade
-
February 19, 2020
EFCC
EFCC Operatives

€2.5bn Fraud: EFCC Presents First Witness over 1994 Case

The trial of four suspected fraudsters, Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze alongside a company, Petro Union Oil & Gas Company Limited commenced today, February 19, 2020 before Justice A. Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The defendants were arraigned on February 13, 2020 on a seven-count charge bordering on Conspiracy, Obtaining by False Pretence, Attempt to Steal and Forgery to the tune of £2,556,000,000 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Million Pounds). They however pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

One of the counts preferred against them reads: “That you, Petro Union Oil and Gas Company Limited, Prince Isaac Okpala (now deceased), Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze and Princess Gladys Okpalaeze (now at large), on or about 29th December, 1994, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently procured a Barclays Bank cheque dated 29th December, 1994 in the sum of £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty- six million Pounds) made payable to Gladstone Kukoyi & Associates, purporting the said cheque to be meant for foreign investment in the construction of three refineries and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, when you knew the said cheque to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.”
At today’s sitting, the prosecution called its first witness, Adun Howard, who narrated to the court events that led to the charge.

Read Also:

  • Bilyaminu Bello’s Family Condemns Presidential Pardon for Maryam Sanda, Cites “Inexorable Pain”
  • Kano Police Bust Armed Robbery Syndicate, Arrest 9 Suspects, Recover Weapons
  • Improving Nigeria’s Digital Safety Through Customs–NCC Synergy

Led in witness by the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Adun, a former operative of the EFCC, now a banker with United Bank for Africa, PLC, told the court that sometime in November 2004, the Commission received a petition from the chambers of Joshua Mba and Co. alleging that a cheque of $2.5Billion was deposited on behalf of Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited with Union Bank, and that the bank failed to pay the recipient of the said money.

“We invited Isaac Okpala to adopt the petition and he also volunteered statements. We thereafter wrote a letter of invitation to Union Bank, and they sent two representatives.

“During investigation, we did not see any proof that will make us continue with the investigation, so we wrote to the complainant that there was no evidence. The complainant however wrote back to us asking us to write Union Bank requesting for the cheque deposited with them, which we did.
“I received the cheque Union Bank brought to the Commission, and I signed for it. I also registered it with the exhibit keeper.

Isaac Okpala later wrote to the EFCC, requesting that the cheque be released to him, I processed the bond to release, which he signed and was released to him”, Adun said.

The petition, correspondences to Union Bank and the complainant were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.

Justice Liman had earlier in the proceedings, granted all the defendants bail in the sum of Twenty Million Naira each, and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be owners of landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court which will be verified by the Lands registry. The address of the defendants will also be verified by the Court Registrar.

The matter was adjourned till March 4, 5, 6, 2020 while the defendants were remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions

Tony Orilade
Acting Head, Media & Publicity

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Abayomi Kukoyi
  • efcc
  • Fraud
  • Prince Chidi Okpalaeze
  • Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze
  • Prince Kingsley Okpala
Previous articleAU, Nigerian Army to Partner on Civil-Military Relations
Next articleLaetitia Dagan: Murdered State House Director for Burial Friday
Tony Orilade
Tony Orilade
http://www.PRNigeria.com

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Court Admits Samuel Aruwan’s Statement in ICPC’s Money Laundering Case Against Ex-El-Rufai Aide

NAHCON

Renewed Hope in Hajj Operations: NAHCON Records Milestone Achievements Under Tinubu Administration

Mohammed Idris Malagi, Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation

FG Reaffirms Non-Interference in ICPC, EFCC Operations

ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

ASUU

Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences Kano Make-Up Artist for Naira Abuse

PRNigeria logo fearured image

EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

EFCC, CCC and the Battle Against Corruption in Nigeria, By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Chairman

EFCC’s Anti-Corruption War: Between Media Trial and Intelligence-Driven Operations

Recent Posts

  • Bilyaminu Bello’s Family Condemns Presidential Pardon for Maryam Sanda, Cites “Inexorable Pain”
  • Kano Police Bust Armed Robbery Syndicate, Arrest 9 Suspects, Recover Weapons
  • Improving Nigeria’s Digital Safety Through Customs–NCC Synergy
  • Kwara Gov’t Disburses N180 Million to Families of Fallen Forest Guards, Vigilantes, Community Fighters
  • DSS Warns Public Against another Dismissed Officer Impersonating Agency
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Bilyaminu Bello's Family Condemns Presidential Pardon for Maryam Sanda, Cites "Inexorable Pain"Kano Police Bust Armed Robbery Syndicate, Arrest 9 Suspects, Recover WeaponsImproving Nigeria’s Digital Safety Through Customs–NCC SynergyKwara Gov't Disburses N180 Million to Families of Fallen Forest Guards, Vigilantes, Community FightersDSS Warns Public Against another Dismissed Officer Impersonating AgencyTrump Arrives in Israel Ahead of Egypt Summit on Gaza Peace EffortsInformation Minister Congratulates Danlami Nmodu on Election as GOCOP PresidentFCT Police Raid Criminal Hideouts, Arrest 52 SuspectsPolice Reform Deepens as NASS Okays 2 Landmark Bills to Strengthen ForceAfrican body, experts urge leaders to step up countries' health financingSoldier, Wife Found Dead at Wawa Cantonment as Army Orders InvestigationGen. Irabor’s Book Exposes Boko Haram’s Sexual Violence Tactics and Drug UseIGP Reassigns Senior Police Officers to FCT, Kogi Commands Pending PSC ApprovalArmy Eliminates Wanted IPOB Commander, 26 Others, Rescue Hostages in Nationwide OperationsTinubu’s Presidential Pardon Encourages Criminality, Erodes Justice - Atiku
X whatsapp