By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
A princess of Kwemeland in Badagry, Lagos State Nigeria Mrs Mausi James-Alakija on Thursday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo that her brother Semasa James, accused of defrauding their late father’s estate of N500million, could not give account of the estate’s property.
Semasa and his co-defendant, Afolabi Kazeem were charged to court by the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) on a seven-count charge of conspiracy, cheating, stealing, forging of company resolution, fraudulent disposing of trust property and forgery.
While being led in evidence at the resumed trial of the case on Thursday by Mr O. O Olabisi, prosecutor for the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Mausi accused Semasa, her elder brother who was one of the administrators of late Oba Afolabi James, their late father’s estate, of mismanagement of funds and property.
She said: “Our father died on January 30, 2002. He left behind 26 children, three are deceased. He left behind property in areas such as Surulere, Lagos Island and a lot of land in Badagry.
“There are four administrators to the estate – Bolarinwa James, Justice Adeniji who are both late, my brother Semasa and myself.
“I was one of the administrators, I go through receipts, oversee the welfare of the younger children. I used to be a signatory to the estate account but in 2009 I was in the hospital bed and I gave instructions to the first defendant to be the sole signatory to the account till date.
“I later made an unsuccessful attempt to be reinstated as a signatory to the account in 2017, I went to the bank but I was asked to get a letter from the first defendant.
“There was a day I went to meet him (Semasa), I said our siblings are grumbling about the management of the estate, you have to give account of the property.
“He told me to meet the second defendant (Kazeem) and they never rendered account of the management of the property.”
The witness (princess) alleged before the court that her brother mismanaged N300million which was the proceeds from the sale of the family property located at Dideolu Estate in Victoria Island.
“The family agreed that we owed him (Semasa) N40million from the sale of the Dideolu property but that he will spread the remaining proceeds among the children.
“Two weeks after the sale, I received N5 million. Alarmed, I called the other children to enquire what was happening and N795,000 was later sent to me by the first defendant.
“He was supposed to give each person N9 million plus but instead the children received about N5 million each,” she said.
According to the charge by SFU, the prince fraudulently converted N500million property belonging to the late king, Oba Afolabi James between 2000 and 2017 in Lagos.
The prosecution further alleges that Semasa had fraudulently sold a property located at Plot 1440, Ilesanmi Street, Itire Road, Surulere, Lagos to a private individual and illegally leased another property located at Plot 282 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos to Ecobank Plc.
Besides, Semasa had also allegedly forged some purchase receipts of his late father’s property.
The SFU claim that Kazeem’s alleged role was as an accomplice in defrauding the late king’s estate.
Kazeem allegedly connived with Semasa to trick the beneficiaries of the late king of N150 million which was part of the proceeds of sale of a property located at Dideolu Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The offences contravene Sections
383(1), 383(2)(f), 390(9), 421,434, 465 and 467 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case till February 1 (tomorrow) for continuation of trial.