EFCC Docks Two for False Information

Gambo

Nwokocha

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday October 13, 2014, arraigned Aduaka Anthony, Madu Jonathan and Joeantho Nigeria limited before Justice Okereke of an Enugu High Court on a 3-count charge bothering on false information.

In a press release by the EFCC, Aduaka Anthony and Madu Jonathan had petitioned the EFCC over a case of dud cheques amounting to five million four hundred thousand naira (N5,400,000.00) purportedly issued to their company by the duo of Dr. Iggi B. Gambo and Dr. Felix O. Nwokocha, both of Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative.

The petitioners had alleged that Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative (an NGO) had asked their company to supply a truck of rice (600 bags at N9, 000 each) to their Makurdi Zonal Office, that the supply was made and the duo of Dr. Iggi B. Gambo and Dr. Felix O. Nwokocha issued them with three Fidelity Bank cheques; that when the three cheques were presented for payment they were all returned unpaid.

Further investigation into the case revealed that contrary to what the petitioners had alleged, four million four hundred thousand naira had been paid to the petitioners leaving only a balance of nine hundred and forty thousand naira.

The two petitioners had misinformed the Commission owing to the delay by Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative to pay the outstanding balance of nine hundred and forty thousand naira.

One of the counts states, “That you Aduaka Anthony, Madu Jonathan and Joeantho Nigeria Limited, in October, 2013, at Enugu, in Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to commit misdemeanour to wit: making false statement to Clifford Ike Mba, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while in the exercise of the duties of his office, statement which to your knowledge, was false in material particular and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 496 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2014”.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of five hundred thousand naira only (N500, 000.00) with one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a civil servant of not less than grade level 12 who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must deposit his/her passport photograph with the court.