EFCC Arraigns Woman Over N30m Fraud

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, May 24th, 2014

Kayode Adelowokan

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday arraigned one Ms Mary Okoh, alias Josephine Williams before Justice F.A Ojo of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja for offences bordering on fraud and forgery.

This is according to a press statement from the EFCC.

Okoh allegedly obtained the sum of thirty million naira (N30, 000,000.00) from Okon Abasi, executive officer, Mutual Alliance Property Development Company Limited, as loan while she deposited the Certificate of Occupancy for her landed property situated at Gwarimpa, Abuja as collateral.

The accused person is alleged to have defaulted in the payment of the loan and also sold the property used as collateral to Lead British Schools, Gwarimpa with another Certificate of Occupancy suspected to be cloned.

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Upon her plea, counsel to EFCC, Abdallah Farouk urged the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the accused person in prison.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Jimoh Musa, asked the court to admit his client to bail as the offence for which she is being prosecuted is bailable. He assured the court that the accused will not jump bail.

Responding, Farouk objected vehemently to defence application for bail for the accused person. The prosecution told the court that the accused had failed to honour the terms of administrative bail granted her by the Commission. He urged the court to refuse the application as there was likelihood that the accused may jump bail.

After listening to both counsel, Justice Ojo ordered the accused person to be remanded in Keffi prison and adjourned the case to June 6, 2014 and July 7, 2014 for ruling on the bail application and commencement of trial.