By Thompson ABISOLA
An oil marketer, Barnabas Akojie, was on Tuesday docked before the Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding a business partner of $149,950 in an oil deal.
Akojie was charged alongside his two companies – Hanston Oil & Gas Limited and Bahanston Oil & Gas Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The accused is standing trial on an eight-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, forgery and fraudulent conversion.
Akojie, however, denied the charges.
Mr G. C Akaogu, the Prosecutor for the EFCC, said the oil marketer committed the offences on Nov. 29, 2017 in Lagos.
“The defendant with intent to defraud, on two occasions, obtained the sums of $69, 975 and $79, 975 from Mr Etienne Irazoqui.
“He falsely represented to Irazoqui that the funds were logistics fees for a contract for the supply of crude oil under “off-OPEC” basis from Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“The defendant also forged documents and used his companies to obtain the said sums from the complainant,” he said.
Akaogu said the offences contravened Sections 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.
The defence counsel, Mr C. Nmakwe, via summons of bail, dated Aug. 28, prayed that his client be granted bail.
Nmakwe said that his client had no criminal record, adding that he would not interfere with the proceedings or any of the witnesses, if granted bail.
“If the defendant is a flight risk as claimed by the EFCC, he would not have been granted administrative bail.
“I hereby urge the court to discountenance the position of the prosecution and exercise discretion in favour of the defendant,” he pleaded.
Responding, the prosecutor via a 32-paragraph counter affidavit gave reasons why bail should not be granted to the defendant.
Akaogu said that the defendant had refused to provide a known address to the EFCC.
“Although administrative bail was granted to the defendant, the terms are now different; the discretion of the court is unfettered by the existence or non-existence of any administrative bail.
“The defendant up till now has not deposited his international passport and if he is granted bail, he may be a flight risk,” he said.
The EFCC prosecutor also requested for an accelerated hearing in the case.
Justice Olusola Williams however granted the accused bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
Williams held that the offences for which the defendants were being tried were not capital offences but noted that liberal bail terms would not be granted to him.
“One of the sureties should be a blood relative that resides within the jurisdiction of the court and the other surety must have a landed property.
“Either of the sureties must be a civil servant on salary grade level 14 and above,” she said.
She also also ordered Akojie to deposit his international passport with the court registrar and to also furnish the court with his known address.
The case was adjourned to Nov. 7 and 9 for trial.
