The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned four persons on an amended 11-count charge bordering on purchase of forged bank notes and possession of forged United States Dollars Travellers Cheques.
The quartet of Mark Obisean, Olumide Mcintouch, Bolaji Bakare and Goodluck Bazunu, were on Thursaday, February 16, 2023, arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
TheFact Daily reports from the counts that the defendants as well as one Josiah Ntekume (at large), had sometime on sometime in 2018 in Lagos, received and have in their possession, forged US Dollars Travellers Cheque number GA908-981-564, which they had conspired to purchase.
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, upon which, the prosecution counsel, N.K. Ukoha, prayed the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution call its witnesses and tender relevant documents to prove the case against them.
Counsel for the first defendant, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, however, informed the court of the bail application filed on behalf of his client, arguing that his client “does not constitute a flight-risk.“
Counsel for the other defendants, however, had no formal bail applications before the court for the court to hear and rule on.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Ijelu granted bail to the first defendant in the sum of N20 million, with two sureties in like sum.
The court further held that the other defendants had no formal applications before it, and were therefore returned to the correctional facility.
The case has been adjourned till April 3, 4 and 5, 2023 for trial.
The defendants were earlier arraigned before Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja in February 2022.
However, the trial could not be concluded before the retirement of Justice Solebo in November 2022.
Consequently, the case was re-assigned to Justice Ijelu.
