Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Lagos Federal High Court has ordered the remand of a Ghana-businessman, Kofi Ketocha, accused of N18.5 million fraud, at the Ikoyi-Lagos center of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).

Justice Oweibo’s remand order against the Ghanaian, was sequel to his not guilty plea to a three count-charge of obtaining by false pretence, fraud and fraudulent conversation of the sum of N18.5 million, made against him by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi-Lagos.

The prosecutor, Mr. Justin Enang, while arraigning the defendant, told the court that he sometimes between September and November 2020, fraudulent obtained the said sum from the fraud victim, Kunle Awotorebo, with the pretence of delivering a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser jeep to him.

Enang told the court that the defendant, after fraudulently obtained the money from the victim failed to deliver the jeep as promised, while also refused to refund the victim of the money.

The prosecutor told the court that the alleged fraudulent acts contravened sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a), and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

He also told the court that the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act, 2011) as amended in 2012.

The businessman Ghana national, however pleaded not guilty to the three counts charge.

Following his not guilty plea, Justice Oweibo ordered his remand at the Ikoyi-Lagos center of the NCoS, till March 16, when his bail application would be entertained.

Charges against the defendant reads: “That you, Kofi Ketocha ‘m’, sometime between September and November 2020 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of the judicial division of the Federal High Court, with intent to defraud did conspire to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

“That you, Kofi Ketocha ‘m’ sometime between September and November 2020 in Lagos State, within the aforementioned judicial division of the Federal High Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N18, 500, 000.00 (Eighteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Kunle Awotorebo by falsely representing yourself that you were a ‘reliable business man which Kunle Awotorebo ‘m’ could trust and do business with and that you were ready, prepared and had the means to deliver a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle to Kunle Awotorebo ‘m’ upon the payment of the agreed sum of N18,500,000.00 (Eighteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to you, a representation you knew to be false or did not believe to be true or which you made recklessly, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

“That you, Kofi Ketocha ‘m’ sometime between September and November 2020 in Lagos State, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did convert to your own use and benefit, the sum of N18, 500, 000.00 (Eighteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) property of one Kunle Awotorebo ‘m’, which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known was the proceed of an unlawful act, to wit: obtaining the sum N18,500,000.00 of by false pretence from Kunle Awotorebo ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act, 2011) as amended in 2012.”