A Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Ayotunde Faji, on Friday, fixed January 11, 2018, for hearing of an application seeking to arrest Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, and his company, Innoson Nigeria Limited, over their persistence failure to attend court answer forgery allegations against them.
The federal government of Nigeria, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), has filed a criminal charge of forgery before the court, against Mr. Innocent, his company, Innoson Nigeria Limited, and four others.
Others in the said criminal charge are: Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines and Annajekwu Sunny.
The AGF in the charge marked FHC/L/565C/2015, alleged that all the accused persons, between January, 2010 and April 2011, at Apapa Wharf, Lagos, conspired amongst themselves to wit, falsification of shipping documents which they deposited with Mitsui Osk Lines Lagos, which was used as collateral for the purpose of clearance of raw materials polyinlchloride (PVC), for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items.
At the resumed hearing of the matter of Friday, the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaye, informed the court of the motion seeking the arrest of the accused persons. Adding that the motion has been served on the lawyers representing the accused persons.
when the matter was called, only one of the accused persons, Maximum Chukwura and Mitsui Osk Lines, were in court.
Responding prosecutor’s application, Innocent Chukwuma’s lawyer, Mr. George Uwechue (SAN), confirmed being served with the motion, and told the court of responding to same.
However, lawyer to the other accused persons, Professor Macharty Ubadugha, told the court that he was just served of the motion in court on Friday morning, and needed time to respond to the application.
He told the court that when the prosecutor wanted to served him with the motion at the last adjourned date, he told him that he was not himself, because he just lost his two sisters, and that he was leaving from court to attend their burial at the village.
He therefore urged the court for adjournment to enable him respond to the motion.
Following the consent of the prosecutor and accused persons’ lawyers for adjournment, the presiding judge, Justice Ayotunde Faji, adjourned the matter till January 11, 2018, for hearing of the motion seeking to arrest the accused persons.
In the four counts amended charge, filed before the court by Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice Mohammed Saidu Diri, it was alleged that, Innoson Nigeria Limited, Innocent Chukwuma, Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines and Annajekwu Sunny between January, 2010, and April 2011, at Apapa Wharf conspired amongst themselves to wit, falsification of shipping documents which they deposited with Mitsui Osk Lines Lagos, which was used as collateral for the purpose of clearance of raw materials polyinlchloride (PVC) for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items.
The accused persons were also alleged to have without lawful authority and with intent to defraud, utter the shipping clearance documents to the shipping Line Mitsui Osk Lines which was used as collateral for the purpose of obtaining a loan of N2.4 billion from Guaranty Trust bank Plc for the purpose of clearing raw materials Polyvinylchloride (PVC) for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items
They were further alleged to have falsely and fraudulently represented as genuine, the uttered shipping documents and presented same to Guaranty Trust bank Plc to obtain a loan of N2.4 billion.
The alleged offences according to the prosecution are contrary to and punishable under sections 3(6),1(2)(C) of the miscellaneous offences Act Cap. M 17 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
