A businessman, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, has narrated before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos how United Bank For Africa (UBA) and four others sold to him fake Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($950,000.00) in a fraudulent forex deal.
Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, the MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited, was giving evidence at the trial of five defendants – three persons, a firm and a bank – for alleged conspiracy to defraud and obtain money under false pretence.
The 1st to 5th defendants are Chibueze Ojeh, Obinna Nwosu, Emeka Njoku, Castle Equipment & Logistic Ltd and UBA.
They are being prosecuted by the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) before Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu on a five-count amended charge marked FHC/AWK/C/25/2020.
At the resumption of trial on 23 July, prosecution counsel Abdulmoruf Animashaun, who held the brief of Mr Simon Lough (SAN), informed the court that the defendants were being prosecuted on a third amended charge, adding that it was high time that the case was expeditiously heard.
The first prosecution witness, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, stated that he was called sometime in 2014 by his account officer in UBA that a customer had dollars totalling 1.9 million to sell.
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, the witness said the account officer was aware Ezenwa needed dollars to send to Italy for the importation of toothpaste.
He testified that he quickly called his company accountant to go to the UBA Aba branch to confirm the situation. The latter did.
“I then went to meet the UBA Branch Manager, account officer and the customer who wanted to sell the dollars, together with my company accountant.
“I bought the total sum of $ 1.9 million as recommended by UBA, but the total sum of $950,000 was fake.
“I demanded that my money be returned to me, but every effort proved abortive,” Ezenwa added.
But Dr D.A. Awosika (SAN), counsel to the first defendant, objected to the tendering of some documents, following which the prosecution counsel urged the court to adjourn the case to a further date to enable him to regularise the position
Consequently, Justice Dipeolu adjourned further trial till the 12th and 14th of November 2024 for further trial.
Eighteen-Eleven Media