The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, arraigned one Okeke Ejike Callistus, a suspected fake Bureau De Change operator, before Justice D. A. Onyefulu of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Callistus was arraigned on a ten-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing to the tune of N78,295,000 (Seventy-eight million, Two hundred and Ninety-five thousand Naira).
Okeke was arrested when a petitioner, Ezeugwu Leonard Chinedu, claimed that he gave him the sum of N78,295,000 for onward transmission to his business partner in China.
He alleged that instead of remitting the money, the defendant remitted some and sent telex copies of “ABA Bank of Cambodia” for the outstanding amount, which, upon presentation to the partner in China, were found to be fake.
During the course of the investigation, the defendant admitted receiving the said sum but added that he diverted part of the money for his personal use.
Count one of the charges preferred against the defendant read: “That you, Mr. Okeke Ejike Callistus (trading under the name and style of Nwachimereze Amen Resources), sometime on the 2nd of May, 2024, at Onitsha, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Anambra State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N62, 745, 000. 00 (Sixty-two million, seven hundred and forty-five thousand Naira) being property of Ezegwu Leonard Chinedu trading under the name and style of Leatez Enterprises and thereby committed an offense”.
Count two of the charge read: “That you, Okeke Ejike Callistus (trading under the name and style of Nwachimereze Amen Resources), sometime between the 3rd to the 7th of May, 2024 at Onitsha, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Anambra State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N15, 550, 000. 00 (Fifteen million, five hundred and fifty thousand Naira) being property of Ezegwu Leonard Chinedu, and thereby committed an offense”.
The offense contravenes Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. 36, Anambra State, and is punishable under Section 353(12) of the same Law.
After the charges were read, the defendant pleaded not guilty, and in view of his plea, the counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Rotimi Ajobiewe, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, the defense counsel, Hypolite Ohaneche, informed the court of a pending bail application before it, moved for its admission, and prayed the court to admit his client to bail.
Ajobiewe opposed the bail application on the grounds that there is a likelihood of the defendant jumping bail due to the fact that he previously jumped bail granted to him by the Commission.
After listening to both sides, Justice Onyefulu granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties, who must be related to the defendant, reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and have a National Identification Number.
Also, one of them must have a tax clearance certificate.
