By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A woman known as Ms Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe has been arraigned before Justice E.A Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The suspect was brought before the judge on Monday, July 20, 2020, alongside Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged fake investment scheme worth N179 million.
They were accused of conspiring and obtaining money by false Pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Ms Ikogwe ran into trouble when the commission received a report about the defendant and two others, accusing them of inducing their victims into participating in a fraudulent investment scheme with a fake promise of 15 per cent return on investment.
Over N15 million was allegedly paid by the unsuspecting ‘investors’ into the defendant’s accounts, Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe with account numbers 2087478165 domiciled in Zenith Bank and Miss Joy Okari Ibiala 2099253758 domiciled in UBA.
Further investigation revealed that the defendant spent a total sum of N139.7 million collected from subscribers to play sport betting and also paid a tithe of N1 million to a leading Pentecostal church in Port Harcourt.
After the three-count charges were read to the suspects, the defendants pleaded “not guilty”.
“That you Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe, Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited sometime in 2019 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 179,326,386.62 by inducing unsuspecting members of the public to invest with your companies: Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited, assuring them under a false pretence of making 15 per cent interest on all investment made, a representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,” one of the counts read.
In view of the plea by the defendants, prosecuting counsel, K. W Chukwuma-Eneh prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.
But counsel to the defendants, G. N Godwins moved an oral application for the bail of the defendants which was opposed by the prosecution on the ground that the application must be in writing and properly addressed to the court.
Justice Obile ordered that the first defendant be remanded in prosecution’s custody and adjourned the matter till October 19, 2020, for determination of the bail application.
Adedapo Adesanya