$565,000 Fraud: Court To Hear American Citizen Application August 28
Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja will on August 28, hear an application filed by an American, Marco Ramirez, who allegedly defrauded three Nigerians of $565,000 in a United States Green Card scam, seeking to vary the terms of his bail.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Ramirez before the court over a 16-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences from three Nigerians.
The foreigner had pleaded not guilty to the charges and on July 10, Justice Oyefeso granted him $250,000 bail with two sureties in like sum among other conditions.
The judge held that one of the sureties must be resident in Lagos, be a director of a reputable company and have landed property in Lagos.
On Friday, the accused person approached the vacation judge, Justice Ganiyu Safari through his counsel, Ademola Adefolaju, seeking a reduction of the bail conditions.
Adefolaju informed Justice Safari that Ramirez’s health condition had deteriorated in Kirikiri Prison since his detention.
The lawyer prayed the court for an order to allow the accused person to bring one surety that is in a directorate cadre in the Lagos State civil service as a substitute for a director in a reputable company.
However, Justice Safari held that since the EFCC was not aware of the proceedings, it was better for the matter to be adjourned.
The judge also ordered that a hearing notice be issued to the commission informing it of Ramirez’s application.
According to the anti-graft agency, Ramirez, the Managing Director of three companies – USA Now Plc., Eagleford Instalodge Group and USA Now Capital Group, committed the offences between February 2013 and August 2013.
The American was alleged to have fraudulently received $545,000 dollars from one Godson Echejue to invest in one of Ramirez’s firms.
The plan was to procure an American green card (permanent residency card) for the Nigerian.
Ramirez also allegedly received $10,000 from one Abubakar Umar through a non-existent investment programme in the U.S. which would make Umar eligible to obtain an American passport.
The EFCC also accused Ramirez of illegally receiving $10,000 from one Olukayode Sodimu on the pretext that the funds were facilitation fees with the American Immigration Services for an American Green Card.
