The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, March 16, 2023, arraigned an Indian, Chandra Prakash Singh, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a seven-count charge bordering on stealing $200,000 as well as Prof. Uche Chigozie Edwin for an alleged N1.4bn fraud before the same judge.
Edwin was arraigned alongside his companies, Visionary Integrated Consulting Limited, NEMAD Associates Limited and Revamp Global Enterprise, on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, retention and conversion of funds to the tune of N1, 473,367,046.04.
The charge sheet containing spelling out the offence of Singh reads: “That you, Chandra Prakash Singh, on or about the 16th December 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, removed from monies from an account number 3002518278 domiciled in UBA Nigeria to account number 0003 domiciled in Citibank N.A, New York United States of America, the sum of $90,000.00 (Ninety Thousand Dollars), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads: “That you, Chandra Prakash Singh, on or the 2nd of December, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court removed monies from account number 3002518278 domiciled in UBA Nigeria to account number 0003 domiciled in Citibank N.A, New York United States of America, the sum of $78,000 (Seventy-eight Thousand Dollars), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
Given Singh pleading “not guilty” to the offence, the prosecution counsel, B.B. Bala, asked for the defendant’s remand and a date for trial, which counsel to the Indian man, Efe Solomon Izokor, objected and appealed to the court for an oral bail application.
Bala objected to the submission made by the defence, insisting that “a written bail application be brought before the court” to enable her to respond accordingly, leading to the presiding judge to rule that the defendant be remanded in the correctional facility and adjourned the matter till June 27, 2023, for the commencement of trial.
Regarding Professor Edwin’s case, his charge sheet reads, “That you, Professor Uche Chigozie Edwin, Visionary Integrated Consulting Limited, Nemad Associates Limited and Revamp Global Enterprise, sometime in 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Court, conspired amongst yourselves to use the sum of N1, 473,367,046.04 (One Billion, Four Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand, forty-six Naira, Four Kobo), property of the Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPAMAN), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: fraud; and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the 11-count charge and the prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendant be remanded.
The defence counsel, Mobolaji Akintunde, in response, made an application for bail on behalf of his client, praying the court to remand his in EFCC custody pending the perfection of the bail.
In a short ruling, Justice Oweibo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N1m and two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must possess landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, and show a tax clearance certificate of three months as well as their passport photographs. The defendant was also ordered to deposit his passport with the court.
The matter was adjourned till June 27, 2023, for the commencement of trial.
