A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has ordered the
Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, to produce the Anosike
brothers – Fidelis and Noel – in court on July 24 to face charges of
theft and fraudulent acquisition of the Daily Times Nigeria preferred
against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC was to arraign the accused persons on Tuesday on a 40-count-charge bordering on stealing over N1.72bn belonging to the DTN and fraudulent acquisition of the company from the Federal Government.
But the absence of the Anosikes in court stalled the arraignment on Tuesday.
The trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, subsequently ordered the IGP to produce the accused persons on the next adjourned date, July 24.
According to the charges the EFCC filed against the accused persons and their company, Folio Communications Limited, they committed the offences between February 2005 and January 2010.
The EFCC alleged that they fraudulently acquired the Daily Times of Nigeria by false representation, falsely claiming to have the means of acquiring the company.
It alleged that the accused persons first mortgaged the Daily Times Nigeria’s assets and then selling off its properties to acquire the controlling 56 per cent of its shares from the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
The 56 per cent of the total shares standing at 140,252,900 of the total 233,754,840 shares of the company and valued at N70m, EFCC claimed, was fraudulently obtained by falsely pretending to possess the means to pay for the acquisition.
The commission alleged that the accused persons had, with the intention to defraud the Federal Republic of Nigeria, falsely claimed that the net worth of prospective shareholders was N6.1bn and that their company, Folio Communications Limited, had a 5-year-turn-over of the sum of N4.1bn.
The Anosikes also allegedly stole a total sum of N1,727,458,500, part of which were said to be proceeds they got from selling DTN’s stake in Naira Properties, owners of Nigeria Stock Exchange
The EFCC said the accused stole millions of Naira from the DTN’s account with the Oceanic Bank, Zenith Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank.
They are also to face charges of stealing about N190.9m realised as rent of various properties of DTN.
By Ade Adesomoju Courtesy Of: Punch
The EFCC was to arraign the accused persons on Tuesday on a 40-count-charge bordering on stealing over N1.72bn belonging to the DTN and fraudulent acquisition of the company from the Federal Government.
But the absence of the Anosikes in court stalled the arraignment on Tuesday.
The trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, subsequently ordered the IGP to produce the accused persons on the next adjourned date, July 24.
According to the charges the EFCC filed against the accused persons and their company, Folio Communications Limited, they committed the offences between February 2005 and January 2010.
The EFCC alleged that they fraudulently acquired the Daily Times of Nigeria by false representation, falsely claiming to have the means of acquiring the company.
It alleged that the accused persons first mortgaged the Daily Times Nigeria’s assets and then selling off its properties to acquire the controlling 56 per cent of its shares from the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
The 56 per cent of the total shares standing at 140,252,900 of the total 233,754,840 shares of the company and valued at N70m, EFCC claimed, was fraudulently obtained by falsely pretending to possess the means to pay for the acquisition.
The commission alleged that the accused persons had, with the intention to defraud the Federal Republic of Nigeria, falsely claimed that the net worth of prospective shareholders was N6.1bn and that their company, Folio Communications Limited, had a 5-year-turn-over of the sum of N4.1bn.
The Anosikes also allegedly stole a total sum of N1,727,458,500, part of which were said to be proceeds they got from selling DTN’s stake in Naira Properties, owners of Nigeria Stock Exchange
The EFCC said the accused stole millions of Naira from the DTN’s account with the Oceanic Bank, Zenith Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank.
They are also to face charges of stealing about N190.9m realised as rent of various properties of DTN.
By Ade Adesomoju Courtesy Of: Punch
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