The former head of copy sales at PUNCH pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of obtaining by false pretences, forgery and stealing.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Lagos State Police Command on Thursday arraigned a former head of copy sales at PUNCH newspapers, Ogunbanjo Mikhail, for allegedly defrauding two men to the tune of N950 million.
The 45-year-old was arraigned before a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates Court on a three-count charge of obtaining by false pretences, forgery and stealing.
Police prosecutor, ASP Rita Momah, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences from January 2017 to December 2022 at Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Momah said that the defendant obtained N450 million from Olusola lkuyajesin and N500 million from Durodola Balogun under false pretences of using the money to buy stationery.
She added that the defendant forged the organisation’s Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) to carry out the acts, in contravention of Sections 287, 314 and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
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The former head of copy sales at PUNCH pleaded not guilty.
Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatubosun granted him bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
Olatubosun ordered that the defendant must deposit his international passport with the court.
She also directed that one of the surties must have a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
She adjourned the case until April 5 for substantive hearing.