Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has fixed tomorrow, (August 5) to deliver a judgment in a four years trial of a couple who were alleged to have commit fraud of about thirty three million naira.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, arraigned the duo of Austin Mbonu and Nnenna Mbonu, a.k.a. Chika Mbonu, alongside their companies, Global Steno Nigeria Limited and Nestins Global Links Limited, before the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
They were arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N32,507,628.08 (Thirty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira, Eight Kobo).
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Nkeruwem Anana, asked for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody.
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But, the defence counsel, Peter Ozodiale, moved an application for bail on behalf of his clients.
EFCC has called several witnesses and tendered various documents to prove the allegations against the defendants.
The defendants have also opened their defence to counter the allegations in proving their innocence.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Austin Mbonu, Nnenna Mbonu (a.k.a. Chika Mbonu) and Nestins Global Links Limited, on or about the 30th day of June, 2017 at Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of N14, 145,686.95 (Fourteen Million, One Hundred and Forty-five Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira, Ninety-Five Kobo) from Fidelity Bank Plc as the cost of facilitation of a Local Purchase Order, LPO, Contract from Chivita Nigeria Limited.”
