A Lagos Special Offences court in Ikeja, has fixed May 15 for the arraignment of the Executive Director of Marketing, Globacom, Mr. Ashok lsrani, and the firm for alleged $6.7million fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, filed a one-count charge against the two defendants before Justice A.O. Williams.
The scheduled arraignment was, however, stalled due to the absence of the first defendant.
At the resumption of the proceedings, the head of Legal Department of the anti graft agency, Mr. Anselem Ozioko, informed the court that EFCC was making efforts to produce Israni, who had been granted an administrative bail by the agency and several invite sent to the firm for trial was not honoured.
Ozioko prayed for short adjourned date to enable the agency to arrest the defendant.
The charge filed before Justice Williams against the defendants, read, “Ashok Israni and Globacom Limited, sometime in 2008 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, induced Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates to confer a benefit on you by permitting Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC to provide you with Blackberry solutions services, valued at USD 6,786,674.64 on the understanding that the benefit will be paid for, which pretence you knew to be false.”
According to Ozioko, who signed the charge sheet, the offence contravenes Section 1(2)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
Justice Williams, however, adjourned the matter till May 15 for possible arraignment.
