Court Freezes Firms’ Accounts Over Alleged N125m Fraud
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday placed a no debit order ordered on two bank accounts belonging to two firms, A.M Projects Consultancy Ltd and Raznez Medical Consultants Ltd, over alleged fraud.
Justice Oweibo granted the order after listening to an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and moved by its counsel, Kufre Uduak.
The judge, by the order, empowered the EFCC to instruct the Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc’s to freeze the account numbered 1012364520 belonging to A.M Projects Consultancy pending conclusion of investigation and the firm’s possible prosecution.
The court also granted a similar application allowing the Commission to freeze another account numbered 1014460309 belonging to Ranez Medical Consultants domiciled with the bank.
In an affidavit attached to the ex-parte application and deposed to by an EFCC operative, Gambo Salisu, the official claimed that he is part of a team assigned to investigate a criminal complaint of obtaining N125 million by false pretence and issuance of dud cheques against the respondents.
According to Salisu, the commission, on March 1, received a criminal complaint from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc accusing the defendants of obtaining money by false pretence and issuance of dud.
He also averred that “On the 18th May, 2012, the petitioner availed to the respondents credit facility of N125 million for the purposes of financing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Rural Free Medical Referral Scheme.
“The parties agreed that the proceeds of the project will be domiciled in the respondents’ account with the bank.
“Contrary to the agreement, the respondents collected the proceeds of the NDDC Rural Free Medical Referral Scheme and diverted it to their personal use, and refused to give the bank its N125 million till date despite several requests.
“Instead, the respondents issued to the petitioner cheques which were returned unpaid upon presentation,” the EFCC official alleged.
Salisu urged the court to grant the application to enable the commission “carry out a thorough investigation into the activities of the respondents as it relates to the allegation of economic and financial crimes”.
He maintained that, “without freezing the nominated accounts and temporarily forfeiting the funds therein to the federal government, there is no way that the proceeds of this crime will be recovered.
“If this application is granted, it will preserve the res and abate further dissipation of the funds allegedly obtained fraudulently.”
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