Man remanded in prison over N57.7m fraud

The Chief Executive of Imagine Roco Limited,
Robert Daniel Onyeani, has been arraigned by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, before Justice E. N. Anyadike of the Federal
High Court, Umuahia, Abia State on a four-count
charge of obtaining money under false pretence
and issuing a fake cheque to the tune of N57.7m.
The prosecuting counsel, Joshua Saidu, told the
court that Onyeani, 53, had sometime in
November, 2013, allegedly presented himself to
the complainant, one Chinemeya Iheaku of G.N.
Iheaku & Co. Ltd, as a member of a seven-man
Presidential Committee on Import Duties
Concession and Waiver of the Federal Ministry of
Industry, Trade and investment, Abuja.
“Onyeani also allegedly demanded the said sum
from the complainant, promising that he could
procure import duties waiver/concession
certificate for importation of stock fish.
“After collecting the from the complainant, he
went into thin air.
“However, when the petitioner requested for
refund, the accused person was said to have
issued some cheques, which bounced due to
insufficient fund in his account,” the prosecutor
told the court,” Joshua said.
The charge reads : ‘‘That you, Robert Daniel
Onyeani, CEO of Imagine Roco Ltd, on or about
the 26th day of November, 2013 at Aba within
the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of
Nigeria obtained the sum of N57.7m from one
Chinemeya Iheaku of G.N. Iheaku & Co. Ltd under
the false pretence that you can procure a
certificate of concession/waiver on the
importation of stockfish/fish head, a
representation you knew to be false and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences
Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of
the same Act.’’
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. Subsequently, the prosecuting counsel asked for a
trial date and prayed the court to remand the
accused person in prison custody.
The defence counsel, O. Emole, moved an
application for bail on behalf of his client.
The Chief Judge, Justice Anyadike, ordered that
the accused be remanded in prison custody.
Anyadike adjourned the matter to February 16 for
trial on the bail application.

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