Justice Lateefat Okunnu of Ikeja High Court on Wednesday remanded a 31-year-old businessman, Chibueze Ojeh, in prison custody for allegedly defrauding a firm of N109 million.
Ojeh is to be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons until Oct. 28.
Ojeh, who is Managing Director of Quick Star Trading Ltd, will be arraigned alongside his company, on a five-count charge bordering on fraud, forgery and issuance of a dud cheque.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the accused had in December 2010 fraudulently obtained N109 million from Gateway Telecom Integrated Services Ltd.
The agency said Ojeh had promised to pay 528,312 dollars into the account of Gateway Telecom Integrated Services Ltd, who had paid him to convert the money to dollars.
The accused refused to convert the money and had instead issued a Finbank Plc cheque No: 06717971 dated Dec. 31, 2010 for the sum of N10 million, payable to Gateway Telecom Integrated Services Ltd.
The EFCC said that when the cheque was presented, it was dishonoured on the grounds that no sufficient fund was standing in the credit of the account on which the cheque was drawn.
He is also alleged to have forged a Barclays Bank Plc Foreign Remittance SWIFT information document purportedly issued by Barclays Bank Plc.
His alleged offences, according to the agency, contravened Sections 1(1) (a) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
It also contravened Section 2(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006, and Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C. 17, Vol 2, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.