Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
A man carrying out banking business without license and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N5.1 billion has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The suspect, Mr Suani Neenwi, a Ponzi scheme operator, was arraigned before Justice I. M Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday on a three-count charge by the anti-graft agency.
It was said that Mr Neenwi operated two companies; Bluekey Technologies Nigeria Limited and Cityclyk Bluekey Payment to defraud unsuspecting members of the general public. The EFCC informed the court that these two firms were run as a pseudo bank, with money taken from depositors, who were promised to receive 10 percent returns on their investments every week.
But the business soon went awry and the EFCC was invited to salvage the situation. He was subsequently apprehended and taken to court yesterday.
At the arraignment on Monday, the agency said the suspect committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
