Despite court ruling EFCC vows to arrest Innoson Motors boss

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed to arrest the Chairman, Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited, Innocent Chukwuma to face fraud charges in court.

The Commission made the vow on Wednesday after Justice Olusola Williams of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, struck out the case of fraud it instituted against Chukwuma.

The Judge struck out the case after the EFCC failed to produce Chukwuma in court to face trial.

Chuwuma and his company, Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited, were to be arraigned on a four-count charge of alleged conspiracy to obtain by false pretences, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and forgery.

The defendants allegedly committed the offences between 2009 and July 2011 in Lagos.

The defendants were alleged to have conspired to obtain, by false pretences, containers of motorcycles, spare parts and raw materials, property of Guaranty Trust Bank, from Mitsui OSK Lines Limited, Apapa, Lagos.

Read also: Court dismisses suit against Innoson motors, warns EFCC

They were also alleged to have fraudulently induced staff of Mitsui OSK and Maersk Line to deliver to them, via their clearing agents, the goods that were imported from China in the name of GTB by falsely pretending that they were authorized by the bank to clear the goods.

The defendants were said to have forged a bill of lading numbered 598286020 of Maersk Line Limited and 11007950841 of Mussui O.S.K. Line by knowingly putting a false GTB stamp and signature of the bank staff.

The alleged fraud was in order that the forged documents be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of any person within Lagos or elsewhere.

However, since the suit was instituted, first before Justice Mojisola Dada of the same court, is said to have refused to appear in court to face trial.

It will be recalled that Justice Dada had, on June 22, 2018, withdrawn from presiding over the matter on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now