…Docks Another for Forgery
A suspected fraudster, Emeofa Michael Ikechukwu, alias Michael
Briggs, was on Thursday, June 11, 2015, re-arraigned before Justice I.E Ekwo of
the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The suspect, who had earlier been
arraigned on March 10, 2015 before Justice H.A. Nganjiwa, is being prosecuted
on a nine-count charge bordering on impersonation, forgery and obtaining money
by false pretence to the tune of over $127,000
Ikechukwu had allegedly
obtained the money from his Swiss girlfriend, Misepasi, whom he met on a dating site in
February 2013, after tricking her to invest in a phony timber business.
One of the counts reads: “That you
Emeofa Michael Ikechukwu (Alias Michael Briggs) sometime in April , 2013 in
Port Harcourt and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent
to defraud did obtain the sum of $77,003.95 (Seventy- Seven Thousand, Three
Dollars, Ninety-Five Cents) from one Misepasi and which you purportedly claimed
to be a business partner dealing with timber which pretext you knew to be false
and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance
Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under
section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
However, the suspect pleaded not
guilty when the charges were read to him.
In view of his plea, counsel to
EFCC, D. Ademu Eteh, prayed the court to open his case.
The defence counsel, O.J. Atolagbe,
told the court that there was a pending application for bail.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the case to
June 15, 2015 for hearing on the motion for bail and ordered the accused to be
remanded in prison custody.
In a related development, one Emmanuel Ikechukwu was also docked before Justice
Ekwo by the EFCC on an amended one count charge bordering on forgery.
The accused allegedly hacked into his victims’
email and later contact their friends or associates for money. One of the
victims, Innocent after receiving a mail from the accused, disguising to be a
friend, deposited the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Naira (N155,
000.00) into his account with a new generation bank.
The accused however entered a not-
guilty plea, when the charge was read to him.
In view of the plea of the accused,
the prosecution counsel, Ramiah O.E. Ikhanaede prayed for a date for trial.
Justice Ekwo ordered that the
accused be remanded in EFCC’s custody and adjourned the matter to 18th
June, 2015 for hearing of bail application and commencement of trial.
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