HOW EMPLOYEE, 2 OTHERS DUPED LAGOS COMPANY OF 29.8MIL ON THE PRETEXT OF SAVING MONEY IN COMPANY ACCOUNT

Oluwatobi Akindele

An employee of Pwan Plus Concern Limited, Chika Amanda, and two others, Fatimo Tijani and Alaka Owolabi, have been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly defrauding the company of N29.8m.

They were arraigned on Tuesday on four counts of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretences, stealing and forgery.

According to the police prosecutor, Friday Mameh, Amanda, alongside Tijani and Owolabi, obtained the sum of N29,892,726, which belongs to the firm on the pretext of saving it in the firm’s account.

Mameh told the court that the defendants committed the offences on June 18, 2019, on the company’s premises in the Ajah area of Lagos.

The prosecutor added that the defendants forged fictitious consultants’ documents to defraud the company.

The charges read in part, “That you, Chika Amanda, Fatimo Tijani and Alaka Owolabi, on June 18, 2019, around 10.30am, at the Ikota Shopping Complex, Ajah, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

“That you, Chika Amanda, Fatimo Tijani and Alaka Owolabi, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, did obtain a total sum of N29,892,726 belonging to Pwan Plus Concern Limited, ably represented by one Oyedemi Julius, under the false pretext of saving it in the company’s account.

“That you, Chika Amanda, Fatimo Tijani and Alaka Owolabi, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, did forge fictitious consultants’ documents and defrauded Pwan Plus Concern Limited of a total sum of N29,892,726.”

Mameh noted that the offences contravened sections 363, 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The presiding magistrate, Mr A. O. Alogba, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

Alogba ruled that the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified by the court.

He adjourned the case till July 24, 2019, for mention.

Copyright PUNCH.