EFCC Arraigns Lawyer, Two Others for Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on January 13, 2014 arraigned the trio of Vitalis Anopue, Chigbu Paul and Amalaha Augustine before Justice Onuoha A. k. Ogwe of the Abia State High Court sitting in Aba, on 15-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence.

 

The accused persons were alleged to have obtained money from unsuspecting Nigerians under the pretext of soliciting for money for the defunct Anti-Corruption Revolution Campaign (ANCOR) programme of the EFCC.

 

Count three of the charge reads, that “Vitalis Anopue and Chigbu Paul on or about the 12^th day of September, 2012 within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Abia State, Aba Judicial Division with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of three Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Naira Only (N370,000.00) as contributions from some purported patrons of Anti-Corruption Revolution (ANCOR), through Chigbu Paul under the pretence of soliciting for funds on behalf of the EFCC and ANCOR, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence”.

 

The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the 15 count charge when read to them.

 L. C. Onumajure, counsel to the accused persons said he had filed an application for bail for the accused and urged the court to grant them bail as the alleged offence was bailable.  The prosecution counsel, Arumemi Moses did not oppose the application but asked the court to grant operatives of the EFCC the power to screen the sureties to be presented by the accused persons.

Justice Ogwe admitted the first accused person, Vitalis Anopue, a lawyer, to bail on self recognition.

The second and third accused persons, Chigbu Paul and Amalaha Augustine, were granted bail in the sum of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred thousand Naira) and one surety each. The sureties must live within the jurisdiction of the Court.

 Justice Ogwe adjourned the case to 6^th, 10^th, 17^th and 31^st of March 2014 for continuation of hearing.