Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned Okorie Ogbonaya, Emmanuel Mbajunwa and a company, Akaeze Ventures Enterprises, before Justice Florence Duruohaigwe of the Imo State High Court, Owerri.
The accused are facing three counts of conspiracy and stealing.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The EFCC, in a statement by its Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said Ogbonaya allegedly obtained two separate loan facilities of $2.256m (about N360m) and N196m to enable his company, Akaeze Venture Enterprises, to import 100 containers of rice from Thailand.
“The imported rice was to be warehoused in a designated bank at Owerri. The suspects allegedly connived with the clearing agent to divert 81 out of the 100 containers to other locations unknown to the bank. The accused were said to have sold the diverted containers and converted the proceeds into personal gain,” the statement said.
The alleged offence is contrary to section 516 of the criminal Code Law CAP 30 Laws of Imo State 1991.
Following application for bail by their counsel, Justice Duruohaigwe granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N4m with one surety in like sum each.
“Each of the sureties must submit an affidavit of means, an evidence of tax clearance for two years and a recent passport,” the statement added.
Before adjourning the case till November 5, the judge ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison in Owerri pending when they would meet their bail conditions.
The court paper listed the accused persons as Ali Modu, Adamu Karumi, Ibrahim Ali, Ibrahim Bukar, Mohammed A. Mohammed, Bala Haruna, Idris Ali, Mohammed Murtala and Kadri Mohammed.
Others are Mustapha Hassan, Abba Duguni, Sanni Adamu, Danjuma Yahaya, Musa Bala, Bala Daura, Farouk Haruna and Abdula Zuladaini.
Eight counts of terrorism acts, possession of prohibitted firearms and ammunition were preferred against the accused persons.
It was learnt that Justice Kurya adjourned the matter till November 27 to enable all the accused persons to procure the services of their lawyers of choice.
The arraignment had earlier been stalled on October 2 because there was no one, who could interprete the charges to the accused persons in Hausa Language and again on October 9 because of the judge’s absence.
At the Thursday’s proceedings, all non-lawyers were ordered out of the 20-seat capacity courtroom by the security agents even before the arrival of the judge.
Some lawyers were excused out of the court room when the accused persons were eventually brought in.
Journalists who initially resisted the order by the SSS men were told that “it was an order from the Presidency not to allow the press to cover this case.”
One of the armed SSS men threatened to handcuff and lock up the journalists, who had told him that he was “obstructing the press from performing its constitutional duty.”
Tension enveloped the premises of the court as a joint team of armed prison and SSS personnel with four Alsatian dogs led the accused persons into the court premises at about 9.45am.
Some of the security agents took position at the front and back gates of the court located at 24, Oyinkan Abayomi Drive in Ikoyi.
They frisked everyone, including lawyers, before allowing them to enter the premises. Those whose mission was unconvincing to the security agents were turned back.
Officials of the Lagos State Government, which is prosecuting the suspects on behalf of the Federal Government, also refused to disclose information on the charges preferred against the accused persons.
Mrs. E.I Alakija of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution, who led the prosecution on Thursday, asked journalists to approach the court for “all necessary information.”
However, journalists later obtained the document, which was signed by E.K Ugwu, and Assistant Director (Legal) for the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
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