Kemisola Oye
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Andrew Warri, before Justice Olubusola Okunnuga of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over allegedly defrauding GT bank of the sum of One Hundred and Twenty-Five Million Naira (N125,000,000.00) only.
He was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretence and issuance of dud cheques.
Warri was arraigned alongside two companies: A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited and Ranez Medical Consultancy Limited.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Following the arraignment, the prosecuting counsel, A. A. Usman, prayed the court for a trial date while also urging the court to remand the defendant at a correctional facility as the prosecution was ready to prove its case against the defendants.
Defendant counsel, A. M. Makinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, however, prayed the court to allow him to continue enjoying the earlier bail granted by the previous trial judge, as he has never violated any of the conditions
In a counter-response, the prosecutor argued that the matter is starting afresh as such he should reapply for bail noting that the defendant is a flight risk.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Olubusola Okunuga agreed that the defendant should continue to enjoy the earlier bail granted to him having not violated the conditions.
Meanwhile, earlier before his re-arraignment, the prosecutor had informed the court that the Commission had an amended charge against the defendant following the ruling on “no case submission” which discharged the defendant of counts one and two.
Justice Sherifa Solebo of the same court delivered the ruling before she retired from the bench, and the case was subsequently transferred to Justice Okunnuga for trial.
According to the ruling, Warri was discharged and acquitted of counts one and two of the charge, as the court ordered the defendant to defend himself on counts three to six.
One of the counts reads: “Andrew Warri, A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited, sometime in May 2012 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of N125,000,000 from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc under the guise that the proceeds of the Rural Health Care and Referral contract with Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will be domiciled in your account with Guaranty Trust Bank, the said pretence you knew, or ought to have known is false.”
Another count reads: “Andrew Warri, Ranez Medical Consultancy Limited, on or about 28th October 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, issued a Zenith Bank cheque for the sum of N10,000,000 payable to A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited, in favour of Guaranty Trust Bank, which upon presentation for payment was dishonoured on the grounds that no sufficient funds were standing to your credit.”
Trial is scheduled to begin on the 3rd and 4th of October 2023
Eighteen-Eleven Media