Indian Docked For Issuing Dud Cheque To Ibadan DisCo  

An Indian national, Yuvraj Kumar Mehra was recently arraigned before Justice Olanrawaju Majekobe of the Ogun State High Court on eight count charges which bordered on conspiracy and issuance of a dud cheque to tune of Seventy Million Naira (N70, 000, 000.00) only by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),

The defendant was arraigned alongside his firm, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited.

Yuvraj was docked for his refusal to pay the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc, (IBEDC) the said sum for power supplied to his company.

An investigation carried out by the operatives of the Ibadan Command revealed that the defendant issued a total number of thirteen dud cheques for One Hundred and Twenty Five Million Naira (N125, 000, 000.00) only to IBEDC, between 2nc October 2018 and 3rd December 2018.

Upon persistent effort by IBEDC, the defendant made a part payment but reneged in paying the balance of N70 Million and all attempts to get him to pay were futile.

One of the counts reads: “That you Yuvraj Kumar Mehra, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited, Mohit Gupta (at large) and Sushil Kumar (at large), on or about the 5th of December, 2018 at Sango Ota within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired to commit an illegal act to wit: issuance of dishonoured cheque, an offence contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30 Laws of Ogun State.”

Another count reads: “That you Yuvraj Kumar Mehra, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited, Mohit Gupta (at large) and Sushil Kumar (at large), on or about the 5th of December, 2018 at Sango Ota within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly and fraudulently issued Zenith Bank Plc Cheque No. 2493, dated 30th of November, 2018 for Ten Million Naira (N10, 000, 000.00) only, made payable to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, which when presented for payment was dishonoured on the grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to the credit of the account on which the cheque was drawn”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

Upon his plea, the prosecution counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi asked the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant pending the determination of the case.

Counsel to the defendant, Clifford Anuge prayed the court to admit his client to bail as he informed that the bail application had been filed and served on the prosecution and the court.

Justice Majekobe, after listening to both parties, granted Yuvraj bail in the sum of N4.1million and two sureties in the sum of Two Million, Fifty Thousand Naira (N2, 050, 000) each.

She further ordered that sureties must provide the court with their “affidavits of means, passport photographs and one of the sureties must be a resident of Ogun State with landed property”.

Furthermore, the defendant must deposit his international passport with the court registrar.

The matter was adjourned till 18th May 18, 2022, for commencement of trial.