EFCC Arraigns Suspect for N13.5m Fraud

Elvis Ezeani

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today March 27, 2014 arraigned one Elvis Ezeani before Justice Valentine B. Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse, Abuja on a 3-count charge which borders on obtaining money by false pretence.

The accused had been at large since December 2006 when he jumped the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC, until he was re-arrested on the 14^th of February, 2014. 

His accomplice, Joseph Morah, was successfully prosecuted by the Commission and convicted by the court for the same offence of obtaining the sum of N13, 500 million under false pretences.

The accused upon his arraignment pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Court one of the charge reads: “That you Elvis Ezeani and Joseph Morah, on and about the 25^th day of May 2006, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit: obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 99(1) of the Penal Code, Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

Based on the plea of the accused, counsel to EFCC, C.C Ndubueze asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the accused in prison custody pending his trial. 

Attempt by counsel to the defence, V. C. Chimezie to move an oral application for bail was rejected as Justice Ashi asked him to file a formal application for bail. He ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody while the case was adjourned to May 13, 2014 for trial.