The trial of one Fidelis Umukoro, who is standing trial for an alleged N164 million fraud before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos gets to conclusion stage as defence closes it’s case.
Umukoro was arraigned on February 11, 2020 alongside Raremax Global Investments Limited, a company linked to him, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting the commencement of his trial.
Umukoro through his counsel filed a no-case submission, after the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel, T.J. Banjo closed its case.
However, the no-case submission was dismissed by the trial judge as lacking in merit and he was ordered to open his defence.
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At today’s proceeding, the prosecution concluded the cross-examination of the defendant who took to the dock to defend himself as a defence witness.
Under cross-examination, the prosecuting counsel confronted him with several portions of the statement he made to the EFCC in the course of the investigation into the alleged offence.
Admitted by the Court as Exhibit P3, the prosecuting counsel pointed him to comments he put down in his statement made to the EFCC during interrogation, some of which he was made to read out in open court.
Specifically on the alleged offence, he was made to read from his statement, which he read in part thus: “I am the MD of Raremax Global Investments Limited… The funds of N164.8 plus million were paid in piecemeal and direct for project which was owned by my related companies…”
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During the cross-examination, the prosecution alleged that the said fund was diverted from A & P Foods Limited during the period the defendant was the authorised signatory to the company’s account, to Raremax Global Investments Limited, where he was a former Managing Director, and to other companies in which the defendant had interest in.
After the cross-examination, the defence counsel, P.O. Ogunnubi, informed the Court that the defence was closing its case.
Thereafter, Justice Dada adjourned till July 13, 2022 for “adoption of final written address”.
One of the counts reads: “Fidelis Umukoro and Raremax Global Investments Limited sometime in the month of March 2018 to April 2019 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division conspired among yourselves to steal the total sum of N164,960,829 (One Hundred and Sixty-four Million Nine Hundred and Sixty Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira Only) property of A & P Foods Limited.”
