Two doctors arraigned for allegedly stealing money meant for colleagues treatment

Two psychiatric doctors and staff of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu were on Thursday arraigned before an Enugu Magistrate Court for alleged stealing.

The doctors (consultant psychiatrists), Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Ugwuonye Kingsley were arraigned on a four-count charge in suit number MEN/223c/2020, before Magistrate S.O. Okoro by a prosecuting police officer, Simeon Eze.

The duo were alleged to have in the year 2014, at the Hospital, conspired among themselves to wit: stealing/forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 494 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

An unconfirmed claim said that the alleged stolen money was meant for the treatment of another doctor with kidney disease.

The doctor was said to have later died in Lagos before being flown abroad for treatment.

“That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal the sum of N700, 000 (seven hundred thousand naira) property of Ozor Stephen, next of kin to late Ozor Obinna and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 353 (L) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal the sum of N1, 034,711.00) property of late Ozor Obinna and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 353 (L) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did with intent to deceive or acted upon as genuine forged the signature of Stephen Ozor in a purported acknowledgement letter in respect of the sum of N700,000 (seven hundred thousand naira), which you purported to have been signed by him and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 443 (1) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004,” some of the charges against them read.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read out to them.

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The defence counsel the urged the court to grant them bail in most liberal terms, an application the prosecutor left to the discretion of the court.

Consequently, the Magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N300,000 each, with one surety in the like sum.

“The surety shall be a civil servant of grade level six and above,” he said.

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