A COUPLE, Kayode and Bose Philips, alleged to have stolen the sum of 292.7 million naira [about 1.8 million
dollars by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, were brought to face the law courts again on Monday.
The Commission, making the allegation through one of its investigative officers, Mr Joseph Okezie, initiated the resumption of the couple’s trial before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of an Ikeja High Court in Lagos State. Kayode, 47 and Bose, 43, were charged to court for allegedly stealing the money belonging to Tower Universal Ltd., a subsidiary of NAL Bank Plc.
The Philips are being prosecuted alongside their firms— Leap of Faith Agency and Gas Oil Nigeria Ltd. Okezie, who was led in evidence by the Commission’s counsel, Mrs Olubunmi Bosede, said he was a part of the team which investigated a petition written against the couple. He said the petition was written by Tower Universal Ltd. sometime in 2005.
The witness said the first accused (Bose) was a staff of the company which produced bulk recharge cards and distributed to its clients. Okezie alleged that she had conspired with her husband (second accused) to defraud her employers of N292.7 million by diverting the recharge cards to her own firms. He said the fraud was carried out between May and November 2004, in Lagos.
“In the course of our investigation, we discovered the purchase of bulk recharge cards for which no monies were credited into her employers’ account. “In her statement, she even told us that her husband took some of the money to acquire a company known as Gas Oil Nigeria Ltd.,” Okezie said.
According to him, the anti-graft agency further wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which confirmed that the companies were owned by the couple. The case has been adjourned till Oct.29 for continuation of trial.