Eugene |
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday January 17, 2013
arraigned Eugene Okpala, a retired Colonel, before the Federal High
Court, Enugu on a seven count charge of forgery, and obtaining money under false pretences.
Okpala
and others (still at large) in August 2008 allegedly conspired and sold
a parcel of land at Independence Layout, Enugu belonging to Chief
Philip Asiodu to Dominion City Church for N34million (thirty four million naira).
The
Church which petitioned the Commission claimed it bought the land after
inquiries at the Ministry of Lands indicated that the proprietary
rights to the land originally leased to Asiodu by the government in 1977
had been transferred to Col. Okpala (rtd). Based on this information,
the Church negotiated and bought the property from Col. Okpala for N34m
plus a five percent agency fee. The transaction was allegedly funded on
behalf of the church by Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited).
The
money was to be paid in three installments but Col. Okpala claimed he
was owing a certain ‘Chief’ who had the original document to the land
the sum of N14m and that the ‘chief’ will only release the document if
he is paid, An agreement was reached to pay the money and Col. Okpala
invited the “Chief” to Bank PHB where N14m was paid to him. Col. Okpala
asked for an additional N1m which was given to him.
Thereafter, Col. Okpala disappeared.
In
2010 the church tried to develop the property but was stopped by
Asiodu’s attorney who informed them that the property was never sold to
anyone. Investigations later revealed that the documents which Col.
Okpala claimed were given to him by Chief Asiodu were forged.
One
of the charges against the accused reads: “that you, Eugene Okpala and
Christ Onu, Emeka, Dr Maduabuchi and others (all still at large),
sometime in August 2008 at Enugu conspired to commit offence by
obtaining money under false pretense and thereby committed an offence
contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related
Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act””.
Okpala pleaded not guilty to all seven count charge.
The
prosecuting counsel, M. H. Ibekwute then asked the court to remand the
accused in prison and fix a date for the commencement of trial. An oral
bail application by the defense counsel, J. E. Orji was rejected by the
trial judge, Justice M. Shuaibu who ordered that the accused be remanded
in EFCC custody and adjourned proceedings to January 22, 2013 for
commencement of trial.
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