A Bureau De Change operator, Jude Muomah, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly defrauding two of his customers of $50.02m and N22m.
Punch learnt that Muomah collected $50.02m from Ifenyinwa on the pretext of sending it to her customers, whose names were given as Moshuri and Campucell, and collected N22m from Onyebuchi ostensibly to send to his suppliers in Dubai.
Muomah was arraigned by the police from the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo on seven counts bordering on stealing and obtaining under false pretences.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Animashaun told the court that Muomah disappeared after defrauding his victims and that when they could not locate him, the victims reported the alleged fraud to his office.
According to Animashaun, the offences contravene sections 8(a) and 1(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act and Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Responding to the plea of the prosecutor, the defendant’s counsel, Anthony Mukoro, said he had just been briefed about the case and urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable him file the bail application.
After listening to both parties, Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned the matter till March 10 and 11, 2020, for trial and ordered that the accused be remanded in a correctional centre till when his bail application would be filed and determined. Punch