20th October, 2014
Henry Ojelu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday re-arraigned a Lagos-based hotelier, Augunos Okoro, for allegedly defrauding a German businessman of $330,000.
The defendant is facing a 38-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and altering.
Okoro, who is the proprietor of Lagos York Hotels, was previously arraigned on 30 May, 2003 before Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The case was re-assigned to Justice Joseph Oyewole sometime in 2004 following the elevation of the former judge to the Court of Appeal.
Okoro was consequently re-arraigned before Oyewole and was granted bail before the trial was stalled as a result of his alleged-ill health.
However, following the elevation of Oyewole to the appeal court, the file was transferred to Justice Ipaye which necessitated the re-arraignment of the defendant.
EFCC Prosecutor, Miss Taiwo Ogunleye, alleged that Okoro conspired with Morris Ibekwe (now deceased) and Chief E.A. Okoro (still at large), to commit the offences between October and November 1992.
She said the defendant obtained the money from the complainant , Mr Klaus Munch and his firm, System Organisation of Germany.
The prosecutor said Okoro claimed that the money was for sundry payments to various government officials for the facilitation of a $30 million project on behalf of the company.
According to her, Okoro allegedly perpetrated the fraud by forging the seal, stamps and other documents of various Federal Government agencies.
She said his alleged offences contravened Sections 419, 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Act.
Okoro pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
Following the arraignment, Justice Ipaye permitted the defendant to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted him by the former trial judge.
She adjourned the matter till 9 December for trial.