By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The ongoing trial of Ecobank Nigeria Plc (1st defendant) and its staff, Mr Anieka Udoh ( 2nd defendant) over fraud, before Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court, Lagos Nigeria could not proceed on Thursday as scheduled due to the absence of defence counsel to 2nd defendant.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had arraigned Ecobank Nigeria Plc and its staff Mr Anieka Udoh on March 7, 2019 on a five count charge of alleged Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences involving $60,000 and N9.2 million (N30.8 million cumulative)
When the case was called up on Thursday, Anieka Udoh who is yet to perfect the bail terms and condition given to him by the court, walked into the dock.
While in the dock, he told the court that his counsel was not in court.
He further told the court that he was yet to perfect his bail condition because his lawyer could not get a property with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
Till date, he comes to court from the prison.
The judge clarified him by saying that any proof of ownership of a property is acceptable.
The matter was then adjourned to June 19 for trial.
According to the information contained on the charge sheet filed before Justice Saidu, Anieka Udoh was alleged to have while being a staff of Ecobank Plc, negligently failed to exercise due diligence in relation to conduct of financial transactions with Major General Mohammed Umaru by fraudulently opening and operated an account number 0015052989 with Ecobank Plc in the name of Mohammed Umaru without the knowledge and authority of the customer, Major General Mohammed Umaru.
The 2nd defendant was also alleged to have on the 28th of January 2016 at Lagos, fraudulently withdrew and converted the sum of USD10,000. 00 from Major General Mohammed Umaru’s Ecobank Domiciliary account number 43336361424 without his knowledge and authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(3) (a) and (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act.
Furthermore, Ecobank and Anieka Udoh were alleged to have sometimes in 2009 at Lagos, negligently failed to exercise due diligence in relation to conduct of financial transactions with Major General Mohammed Umaru by fraudulently converting Major General Umaru’s Ecobank MasterCard account number 0015052989 from debit card to credit card and consequently debited Major General Mohammed Umaru’s account in the sum of over USD 50,000 without the knowledge and authority of Major General Mohammed Umaru, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(3) and (b) of the same Act.
Besides, the defendants were also said to have sometimes in 2016 fraudulently converted Major General Mohammed Umaru Domiciliary account in the bank to Naira account without the knowledge and permission of the account owner and consequently left a debit of N 9.2 million in the said account.
The 2nd defendant (Udoh) who was alone in the dock had pleaded not guilty for himself in all the counts. Trial has commenced.
