Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Lagos zonal office on Monday arraigned the duo of Ogbor Elliot, Managing Director, Danium Energy Services Limited; and Godwin Okoronkwo, Managing Director, Petrosol Energy Limited, before Justice O. Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretense, conspiracy and forgery to the tune of N7.3 billion.
The two allegedly used forged Purchase Orders to hoodwink a new generation bank into granting them credit facility to finance the sale of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) valued at several billions of Naira to a major oil marketing company.
The suspects, who are said to be members of a syndicate of fraudsters, were arrested following a complaint by an employee of the bank.
The complainant alleged that between January and February 2017, Danium Energy Services Limited, one of the bank’s customers, approached the bank to finance three different Purchase Orders for the sale of AGO to Total Nigeria Plc, with a cumulative value of N12,134,700,000.
He further alleged that the bank financed two of the Purchase Orders for the sum of N4,103,100,000 and N4,015,800,000 respectively after allegedly receiving confirmation from Total Nigeria Plc.
However, the Purchase Orders were discovered to have been forged when the bank approached Total Nigeria Plc for payment 21 days after financing the transaction.
The offence is contrary to Section 8(A) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, prayed the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody.
However, counsel to the defendants told the court about pending applications for bail on behalf of their clients and pleaded with the court to remand the accused in the EFCC custody.
Oyedepo opposed the bail applications, saying that he was served in court today.
He further opposed the pleas by the defence counsel for the accused to be remanded in the EFCC custody.
Consequently, Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned the case to October 11, 2017 for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.
The accused were ordered to be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the determination of the bail applications.