Do All You Can To Produce Innoson Motors Boss In Court, Judge Tells EFCC

Do All You Can To Produce Innoson Motors Boss In Court,  Judge Tells EFCC

Justice Olusola Williams of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to do all it can to Produce, the chairman of Innoson Nigeria Limited, Innocent Chukwuma in court for arraignment.

Justice Williams gave the directive due to the absence Chukwuma, who was scheduled to be arraigned before her over an alleged forgery charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, .

The judge held, “I believe it is the job of the prosecution to bring the defendant to court because they are the Executives.

“The judge is just to make an order that he should appear in court but we cannot enforce the order, the responsibility still lies with the EFCC to make sure he is in court,” She stated.

Justice Williams is the second judge that will be hearing the case after the initial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada hands off the case on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Trial is yet to begin in the case since it was filed, due to the absence of the accused persons in court and also because of the various interim applications they filed, some of which are on appeal.

He was before now declared wanted by Justice Dada following the request by the commission.

Chukwuma and his company, Innoson Motors Nigeria Ltd., were to be arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain property by false pretences, obtaining property by false pretences, stealing and forgery in a transaction with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

The EFCC alleged that the defendants committed the offences between 2009 and July 2011 in Lagos.

According to the anti-graft commission, the defendants with intent to defraud; conspired to obtain by false pretences containers of motorcycle, spare parts and raw materials, property of GTB from Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, Apapa, Lagos.

They are alleged to have fraudulently induced staff of Mitsui OSK and Maersk Line to deliver to them via their clearing agents the goods which were imported from China in the name of GTB by falsely pretending that they were authorised by the bank to clear the goods.

Also, EFCC alleged that the defendants in order to facilitate the fraud forged a bill of lading numbered 598286020 of Maersk Line Limited and 11007950841 of Mutsui O.S.K Lines by knowingly putting a false GTB stamp and signature of the bank staff.

The alleged forgery was in order that the forged documents be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of any person within Lagos or elsewhere.

The offences contravened Sections 1(1)(b), 1(3), and 8(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2016 and Sections 309(9), 388, 465 and 467(1)(j) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

At the resume of the proceedings on Wednesday, Innocent Chukwuma was also absent in court when the matter was called.

When the case was called, counsel to the EFCC, A Ozioko informed the court that the accused persons and their counsel were absent in court.

“My lord it appears that the second defendant and my learned colleagues from the other side are not in court.

“He has refused to come for his arraignment for the sixth time even when the matter was before your learned brother, Justice Dada despite all efforts to bring him here.

“He has also files seven different applications since he was charged.

Ozioko further told the court that the second defendant Innocent Chukwuma is the alter-ego of the first defendant which is his company.

He said the application he filed before the court earlier includes: an application challenging the jurisdiction of court, an application to discharged himself from the charge before the court.

Other applications include an order of stay of execution on bench warrant issued by the court and a stay of execution of warrant of arrest among others.

The prosecution also informed the court that Innoson boss, has refused to honour the court order by his continuous absence in court after he was granted an administrative bail by the EFCC.

“My lord, in view of the absence of the defendant, we shall be asking for an adjournment date.

Justice Williams however told the EFCC’s counsel to do all he can do to bring the defendant to court.

She further said that one of the court’s registrar informed her that someone came to file a motion on behalf of the defendant and the registrar made an attempt to serve him the hearing notice but the person refused to collect it.

“It is the prosecution’s duty to make sure the defendant is in court to answer his case.

I can’t be issuing an order to a defendant that seems not to be existing.

“I will give you a date and anytime you are able to arrest the defendant, just inform the court registrars and bring him to court for arraignment.

The judge thereafter adjourned the matter till October 10, 2018 for arraignment.