Crime

Court Orders Lawyer To Produce Bizwoman, Princess Kolade For Allegedly Defraud Access Bank of $32m

Ranmilowo Ojalumo

The Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered a lawyer, Mr. Kehinde Awowole to produce his client, a businesswoman, Princess Toyin Kolade, who was alleged to have involved in alleged $32 million USD fraud, in court on December 3.

Princess Toyin Akolade alongside six others, were charged before Justice Peter Odo Lifu led court by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in a charge marked FHC/L/407c/2019, on for alleged fraud of the above mentioned sum, by false pretence.

Others charge alongside the Businesswoman are four India Nationals, Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, Bhagwan Simgh Rawat and Mukul Tyagi and two Britons, Marcus Wade and Andrew Fairie, said to be at large.

Also, four companies: Metal Africa Steel Products Limited, Wilben Trade Limited, Fisolak Global Resources Limited and Kannu Aditya India Limited, were also charged before the court on the alleged offences.

The lawyer had undertook to produce the businesswoman in court, when the matter first came up before the judge.

At the hearing of the matter on November 4, the lawyer had failed to produce the businesswoman, the event which made the presiding judge to order the lawyer to show cause for failing to produce the businesswoman, Princess Akolade.

At the resumed hearing of the matter Tuesday, Princess Akolade’s lawyer, Awowole, who was led by Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN) pleaded with the court for forgiveness over his failure to produce his client as ordered by the court.

Awowole told the court that himself of his client were not aware of the Court’s last sitting. And that he became aware of today’s proceedings through social media, specifically Facebook and his WhatsApp group.

Awowole also pleaded with the court to forgive his client who he said was out of the Court’s jurisdisction. He promised to produce the defendant in court at the next sitting of the court.

In countering the lawyer’s plea, the prosecutor, Dr. Pius Akutah, a Chief Counsel in the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), told the court that hearing notice was duly served on the Businesswoman and same was filed with the court.

The presiding judge, confirmed the prosecutor’s submissions and also read out how the lawyer undertook to produce Princess Akolade in court.

However, upon the counsel’s plea for mercy and forgiveness, Justice Lifu while reordered Awowole to produce Princess Toyin Akolade in court at the next adjourned date. While he fixed December 3, for hearing of all applications filed by other defendants in the charge, by the consent of all parties.

Some of the charges against the defendants read: “that you, Mr Prem Garg, Mr Devashish Garg both of Indian nationality, Metal Africa Steel Products Lid (a company registered in Nigeria), Fisolak Global Resources Limited (a company registered in Nigeria), Princess Oluwatoyin Kolade {Managing Director of Flsolak Global Resources Limited), Wilben Trade Limited {a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates Dubal) Marcus Wade (Chairman of Wilben Trade Ltd], Andrew Fairie(Chief Executive Officer of Wilben Trade LTD) both of British nationality, sometime in the month of August, 2015 at Access Bank Plc, Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired between yourselves fo commit an offence to wit: inducing Access Bank Plc by Means of overinvoicing, to deliver the sum of Thirty Two Millon US Dollars (US$32,000,000 00} through the medium of contract with the Bank for the benefit of Wilben Trade Ltd, level 41, Emirate Towers, Sheikh Z Dubai, United Arab Emirate and thereby committed on Offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap. A6, Laws of the Facieration of Nigeria.

“That you, Mr. Prem Garg, Mr. Devashish Garg both of indian nationality, Metal Africa Steel Products Ltd. (a company registered in Nigeria), Fisolak Global Resources Limited, (a company registered in Nigeria}, Princess Otuwatoyin Kolade (Managing Director of Fisolak Global Resources Limited), Wilben Trade Limited, (a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, Dubai), Marcus Wade (Chairman of Wilben Trade Ltd}, Andrew Fairie (Chief Executive Officer of Wilben Trade Ltd) both of British nationaiity, sometime in the month of August, 2015 at Apapa Sea Port Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired befween yourselves to commit an offence to wit. Cheating in that you caused Access Bank Plc to deliver the sum of U5$32,000,000 00 (Thirty-Two Million, US Dollars} which was intended by contract for the purchase of Steel Billets but was used by you for purchase steel billets of a lesser Nigeria Fisolak Global Resources Limiteda company registered in Nigeria) and Wilden Trade Limited, {a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, Dubai) sometime in the month of August, 2015 at Access Bank Plc. Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, through tf. nedium of contract induced Access Bank Plc to deliver the in the month of August, 2015 at Access Bank Plc, Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired between yourselves fo commit an offence to wit: inducing Access Bank Plc by Means of overinvoicing, to deliver the sum of Thirty Two Million US Dollars (US$32,000,000 00} through the medium of contract with the Bank for the benefit of Wilben Trade Ltd, level 41, Emirate Towers, Sheikh Z Dubai, United Arab Emirate and thereby committed on Offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap. A6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

“That you Mr Prem Garg and Mr Devashish Garg both of Indian nationality, Metal Africa Steel Products Ltd. (a company registered in Nigeria), Fisolak Global Resources Limited, (a company registered in Fisolak Global Resources Limited (a company registered in Nigeria), Princess Oluwatoyin Kolade {Managing Director of Flsolak Global Resources Limited), Wilben Trade Limited {a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates Dubai) Marcus Wade (Chairman of Wilben Trade Ltd), Andrew Fairie (Chief Executive Officer of Wilben Trade Ltd) both of British nationality, sometime in the month of August, 2015 at Access Bank Plc, Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired between yourselves fo commit an offence to wit: inducing Access Bank Plc by Means of overinvoicing, to deliver the sum of Thirty Two Millon US Dollars (US$32,000,000 00} through the medium of contract with the Bank for the benefit of Wilben Trade Ltd, level 41, Emirate Towers, Sheikh Z Dubai, United Arab Emirate and thereby committed on Offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap. A6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

“That you, Mr Prem Garg, Mr Devashish Garg both of Indian nationality, Metal Africa Steel Products Ltd (a company registered in Nigeria), Fisolak Global Resources Limited (a company registered in Nigeria), Princess Oluwatoyin Kolade {Managing Director of Flsolak Global Resources Limited), Wilben Trade Limited {a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates Dubal) Marcus Wade (Chairman of Wilben Trade Ltd], Andrew Fairie (Chief Executive Officer of Wilben Trade Ltd) both of British nationallty, sometime in month of August, 2015 at Apapa Sea Port Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowing and with intent to defraud the Federal Government of duty payable thereon unlawfully removed metal billets and machinery custodies at Tin Can lsland what Lagos to your company at KM 16 Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, Ewe Jagun, Ogun State and thereby commitied an offence
punishable under Section 164(a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you, Mr Prem Garg, Mr Devashish Garg both of Indian nationality, Metal Africa Steel Products Ltd (a company registered in Nigeria), Fisoiak Global Resources Limited (a company registered in Nigeria), Princess Oluwatoyin Kolade {Managing Director of Flsolak Global Resources Limited), Wilben Trade Limited {a company registered in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates Dubal) Marcus Wade (Chairman of Wilben Trade Ltd) Andrew Fairie(Chief Executive Officer of Wilben Trade Ltd) both of British nationallty, sometime in the month of August, 2015 at Access Bank Plc, Lagos within the jurisdisction of this Honourable Court Converted to yourselves the sum of US $32, 000, 000. 00 (Thirty-two US Dollars) directly derived from participation in Advance Fee Fraud and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 15(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011”.

editor

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