The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned three staff of AIICO Capital Ltd before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, for allegedly defrauding their employer, the sum of N1.4billion.
The staff, Harriet Onome, Olajumoke Akano and Olabode Ogunlere were charged with four counts of conspiracy and stealing.
They however denied the charges.
According to the EFCC prosecutor, Miss Chinenye Okezie, the defendants had sometime in 2020 in Lagos, committed the offences alongside one Olanrewaju Fabunmi who is now at large.
“Onome sometime between November to December 2020 converted to her own use the aggregate sum of N419.9million.
“Akano within the same period, dishonestly converted to her own use the aggregate sum of N167million.
“Between October to November 2020, Ogunlere fraudulently converted the aggregate sum of N65million to his personal use.
“The said sums are property of AIICO Capital Ltd,” she said.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offences contravene Sections 287(8) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
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Following their arraignment, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) (Onome’s defence counsel) and Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) (Akano and Ogunlere’s defence counsel), applied for the defendants bail to be granted in liberal terms.
Ms Okezie however opposed the bail applications. She noted that Onome is a flight risk who has a two-year valid visa to the United Kingdom.
“If the court should consider granting the defendants bail it should be on stiff conditions that will ensure the defendants attendance in court,” she said.
Responding, Oyetibo told the court that Onome was not a flight risk because her international passport is with the EFCC and applied that her international passport be deposited with the registrar of the court.
Olumide-Fusika in his submission said that Akano is a nursing mother and had never jumped the bail which was granted to her by the EFCC when she was being investigated.
He also noted that though Ogunlere was initially detained by the EFCC for five-days over the alleged fraud, he always honoured the anti-graft agency’s invitation after he was granted bail.
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Delivering a ruling on the bail applications, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo granted each of the sureties N50million bail with two sureties in like sum.
“One of the sureties must be a land owner and the Registrar of Titles shall verify the location of the land.
“The other surety shall be a close relative who must be resident in Lagos. The identities of the sureties a must be verified by the court,” she said.
The case was adjourned until Oct. 12 for trial.
