The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Ugwu A. Chekwube, for allegedly luring a company, Zod International Developers, into parting with N85m for a promised contract not delivered.
According to EFCC, Chekwube had allegedly promised to secure a contract for the construction of six district hospitals in Ebonyi State, but failed to keep to his promise.
EFCC said after collecting the said amount, the defendant neither secured the contract nor refunded the money to the petitioner.
He was then arraigned before Justice Mohammed G. Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
One of the four-count charges reads: “That you, Ugwu Alexander Chekwube and one Ugo Sunday Onuaguluchi (At large) from 2nd November 2022, to 6th December 2022 in Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud induced one Zod International Developers to deliver to you the sum of N85,000,000.00 (Eighty-five million naira), under the pretence that you will help him secure a contract for the construction of six District Hospitals in Ebonyi State which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” after hearing the charges read to him.
The EFCC Counsel, Nuradeen S. Ingawa, prayed the court for a trial date and also asked that the court remand the defendant at the Enugu State Correctional Centre.
However, the defence counsel, M. C. Onwuzuruoha, told the court about a pending bail application before it.
Justice Umar thereafter adjourned the matter till 17th April 2024, for hearing on the bail application.
He also ordered that the defendant be remanded at Enugu State Correctional facility.
EFCC Arraigns Man For Alleged Fake N85m Contract In Enugu is first published on The Whistler Newspaper