N450m Fraud: Prosecutor’s Absence Stalls Trial of Dangote’s Employees, Bizman

N450m Fraud: Prosecutor’s Absence Stalls Trial of Dangote’s Employees, Bizman

The absence of the prosecuting team from the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police, ikoyi, Lagos, today, stalled the trial of eight staff of Dangote Sugar industry and a businessman accused of stealing N451 million.

The nine defendants were alleged to have carried out the heinous act, the Dangote Suger Industry.

The eight Dangote Staff are: Musa Sule; Joseph Ukpah, Babatunde Ajao, Onyekwere Chinedu, Alayande Rahman, Omoro Ezekiel, Abugba Christian and Mannir Mohammed. While the businessman and his firm named in the alleged act are: Habib Mande and El-Habib Property Nigeria Limited.

All the defendants are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery of cheque requisition form and uttering of false document.

The defence team who includes: S. E. Okeke; Kola Kadiri and A. O. Omodele, expressed their dismay about the absence of the prosecutor at the Monday’s proceedings, which they said  was a delay tactics.

They urged the court to take cognisance of the defence counsel’s actions and that the case be struck out of court due to lack of diligent prosecution.

Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya, however adjourned the case until January 20, 2021 for continuation of trial.

The defendants, according to the prosecution, committed the offences between 2012 and 2016 alongside Zainab Adebanjo who is now at large at the Dangote Sugar Refinery Limited, at Apapa, Lagos.

The SFU alleges that the staff and businessman conspired and stole N451million belonging to the company.

“On November 30, 2015, Sept. 7, 2015 and April 26, 2016, they also forged and uttered false cheque requisition forms with numbers 132243, 132229 and 132279, respectively,” Jackson said.

The offences contravene Sections 383(1), 390(9), 465, 467 468 and 561 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

editor

See author's posts