Fidelity Bank loses N7.3bn to suspected fraudsters

Fidelity Bank Plc, is presently in court, hoping to recover a whooping N7.3 billion which it lost to about eight suspected fraudsters in a bad deal.

Among them, two men, Ejere Chris and Edoma Amogha were arraigned on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice A.M.Nicol-Clay of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos.

The accused were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on fraud, conspiracy and forgery.

Ejere, Amogha, Danium Energy Services, Kehinde Elliot Ogbor (at large), Danium Energy Services Ltd, Sibet Oil Services Ltd, Loveth Miyemi Ogbor (at large) and Rhombi Energy limited were said to have allegedly approached the petitioner, Fidelity Bank Plc, between January 17 and February 9, 2017, to finance three different purchase orders for the sale of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) to Total Nigeria Plc with a cumulative face value of N12.13 Billion.

Thereafter, the bank allegedly financed two of the purchase orders, after due confirmation from Total Nigeria Plc.

But the transaction turned out to be fraud as all documents were allegedly forged.

They are all being prosecuted on a 10 count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgery to the tune of N7.3billion.

The accused persons who pleaded not guilty to the charge allegedly conspired and diverted the facility from the bank.

When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, Justice Nicol-Clay granted bail to the two suspects.

Read also: Troubled Fidelity Bank gets acting MD

Justice Nicol-Clay had on July 11, 2017 adjourned ruling on the bail application of Ejere, who is an official of Total Nigeria Plc and one Omagha, an account officer with International Fulfillment Services Ltd till July 17.

When the matter was mentioned then, counsel to 1st and 2nd accused persons, Pekun Sowole and Gabriel Orban, moved their applications for bail on liberal terms, promising that the defendants would be available for trial and will not jump bail.

Prosecution counsel, Mohammed Idris opposed the bail application of the 1st accused. He drew the attention of the Court to the fact that Ejere had attempted to travel abroad to avoid prosecution before being arrested by the EFCC. Idris prayed the Court not to grant Ejere bail while urging it to exercise its discretion in respect of Omagha.

One of the counts reads:
“That you , Ejere Kelvin Chris, Edoma Omagha, Kehinde Eliot Ogbor (at large), Danium Energy Services Limited (at large), Sibet Oil Services Limited (at large), Loveth Miyemi Ogbor (at large) and Rhombi Energy Limited (at large) sometime between the months of January, 2017 and February, 2017 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, conspired amongst yourselves to dishonestly convert and steal the cumulative sum of N7.3 billion (Seven Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira) only.”

 

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