The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday docked a middle-aged man Osas Eledah of forging manager’s cheques of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc and United Bank For Africa (UBA) Plc.
It arraigned Eledah before vacation judge Justice Tijjani Ringim of the Federal High Court in Lagos on a five-count charge bordering on false pretense and forgery.
Prosecution counsel Kufre Uduak told the court via a charge marked FHC/L/136C/2021 that the defendant committed the offences between June 2021 and July 2021 in Lagos.
He said the defendant had in his possession “a document containing false pretense to wit; mail from a “investorsenquiry@gtbank.com” purportedly emanating from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc…
“A document containing false pretence titled; “LETTER OF CONFIRMATION OF BANK MANAGER’S CHEQUE” purportedly emanating from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
“A document containing false pretence to wit; a Manager’s Cheque, dated 28 April 2021, purportedly emanating from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
” A document containing ‘false pretence to wit; a Manager’s Cheque, dated “04-05-2021,” purportedly emanating from United Bank For Africa Plc.”
In the last count, the court heard that the defendant was allegedly found in possession of a document containing false pretence titled “CONFIRMATION OF FINANCIAL CAPACITY OF CUSTOMER” purportedly emanating from United Bank For Africa Plc.
Eledah pleaded not guilty.
Uduak applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional Services Centre.
But defence counsel E.A Alabi opposed him and informed the court that he had applied for Eledah’s bail.
He prayed the court to, among others, consider the time that the defendant had been in detention, which according to him, was close to two months.
He stated that Eleda on his own honoured the EFCC’s invitation in July and he had since been in detention.
He prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms.
Justice Ringim, in a bench ruling, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10million and two sureties in the like sum.
One of the sureties must be no less than a grade level 14 officer in the Federal or state civil service, while the other must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction, among other terms.
The judge adjourned trial till September 21 and remanded the defendant in the Ikoyi Correctional Services Centre.
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