Court gives SEC go ahead to expel BGL, ban Okumagba

A Federal High Court in Lagos has cleared the way for the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) to go ahead with its plan to expel the BGL Group from capital market activities over alleged fraud and malpractices.

The regulatory agency is also now free to ban BGL’s Group Managing Director, Albert Okumagba from operating as a Registered Sponsored Individual with SEC.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa made this possible today when he vacated an interim injunction barring SEC from carrying out the actions.

The SEC had announced the expulsion of BGL from the Nigerian capital market after receiving over 40 petitions from aggrieved investors who claimed to have been defrauded by the company.

But the company, through its counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), had on May 27, 2015 obtained an interim injunction by Justice Saliu Saidu, stopping SEC from giving effect to the ban.

However, ruling on an application filed by SEC to discharge the order on Thursday, Justice Yunusa held that BGL concealed material facts from Justice Saidu who gave the interim injunction.

Yunusa said he was persuaded by the counsel for SEC, Prof. Kayinsola Ajayi (SAN), who argued that the order was granted in error.

Read also: N28.9bn fraud: EFCC picks up Okumagba, BGL boss

Ajayi had, in the application to discharge the order, stated that the ban on BGL was to protect members of the public who were investing in the capital market.

He had informed the court that BGL had been running at a loss to the tune of over N48.1bn as of December 2014.

He also stated that the company was indebted to various capital market investors, including the Rivers State Ministry of Finance, to the tune of about N5.8bn as of June 2, 2015.

Besides, Ajayi disclosed to the court that the company and its boss had a case to answer before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which had also received over 40 petitions against them from aggrieved investors.

Yunusa said an interim order obtained through the suppression of material facts was bound to be discharged and he did accordingly.

Earlier, the judge had also dismissed an application for stay of proceedings filed by Pinheiro.

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