Court adjourns ruling on alleged N16.3m charcoal fraud

An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday adjourning until June 9, ruling on a N16.3 million charcoal fraud case.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned one Omolara Sevensson and her company, OOK and Eilvor Group Ltd., on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences.

The defence counsel, Mr Adebisi Orija, prayed the court to dismiss the charge, arguing that there was a subsisting court judgment relating to the case.

“My lord, we have listed five grounds to support the motion and filed a written address dated Dec. 6, 2021, which we seek to adopt.

“There is a subsisting judgment delivered by Justice Folarin.

“Our argument basically is that the fact upon which the charge was filed against the defendant has been subjected to a subsisting judgment delivered by Justice Folarin.

“The defendant filed a motion seeking the release of her passport, which is part of the judgment delivered by Justice Folarin, but as of today, EFCC has not obliged.

“We humbly pray the court to dismiss this charge,” he said.

In his response, EFCC counsel, Mr Ayanfe Ogunsina, told the court that prosecutors had filed a counter-affidavit.

“My lord, the charge before the court had earlier been filed since 2019 before Justice Sholebo but it was struck out because the defendant absconded.

“The matter is never civil. The matter is such that the defendant fraudulently obtained money from the petitioner.

“I pray the court to proceed with a trial in the interest of justice,” Ogunsina said.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the ruling on the application until June 9.

The EFCC alleges that the defendant obtained the sum of N16.3 million from the complainant, Mr Peter Emeya, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Peter Groups Services Ltd. on the pretext of selling five 40ft containers of charcoal for him.

The commission said that the alleged offences contravened Sections 1(1)(a) and (1)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act of 2006. (NAN)