The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday arraigned one Obetta Hillary Chinweuba before Justice R.O Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court, Enugu on a four-count charge of obtaining forgery, impersonation and obtaining N4,000,000.00 by false pretence
Chinweuba who pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the Commission, allegedly swindled his victim under the guise of transferring to him, a fiat for the sale and distribution of the 2018 Ministry of Transport badges and emblems for commercial vehicles in Enugu State. It was a false claim as he had no such faith but forged the letter-head paper of the State Ministry of Transport to convince his victim.
Count one of the charges read; “ that you Hillary Obetta Chinweuba on or about the 24th day of November 2017 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Three Million Naira (N3,000,000.00) from Yoocotony Resources Limited, the money of Chief Anthony Ezedinma by false pretence, when you represented to him that the said money is part payment meant for the supply of 5,000 copies of the 2018 Enugu State Ministry of Transport, unified conductors/drivers badges and emblems for motorists to him, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
In view of the plea of the defendant, the prosecution counsel Micheal Ikechukwu Ani asked the court for a trial date while the defence counsel, Ozioko M. Victor moved an application for the bail of his client.
Justice Oghoghorie granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1, 000,000.00 (One Million Naira), with two sureties, one of whom must be a civil servant on Grade Level 14 in either the Federal or State Civil Service and, whose letter of recent promotion must be verified by the court registrar.
The matter was adjourned till March 30, 2021 for trial.
