The ongoing prosecution by the EFCC of four suspected fraudsters for an alleged €2.556bn fraud, continued on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 before Justice A. Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos. The suspects are: Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze alongside a company, Petro Union Oil & Gas Company Limited.
The defendants were arraigned on February 13, 2020 on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, attempt to steal and forgery to the tune of £2,556,000,000 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Million Pounds). At the resumed hearing, the EFCC tendered more evidence against them, which were admitted by the court.
SEARCH
Daily Post Nigeria
Daily Post Nigeria
NEWSEFCC arraigns Kukoyi, Okpala, Okpalaeze, Petro Gas for alleged £2.5bn fraudPublished on February 13, 2020By Wale Odunsi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, arraigned Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Okpala, and Prince Okpalaeze alongside a company, Petro Union & Gas Company Limited, before Justice Mohammad Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
They were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, attempt to steal and forgery to the tune of £2,556,000,000.00
One of the counts reads: “That you, Petro Union Oil and Gas Company Limited, Prince Isaac Okpala (now deceased), Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze and Princess Gladys Okpalaeze (now at large), on or about the 29th December, 1994, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently procured a Barclays Bank cheque dated 29th December, 1994 in the sum of £2,556,000,000.00 made payable to Gladstone Kukoyi & Associates, purporting the said cheque to be meant for foreign investment in the construction of three refineries and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, when you knew the said cheque to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.”
That you, Petro Union Oil and Gas Company Limited, Prince Isaac Okpala( now deceased), Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze and Princess Gladys Okpaleze( now at large) on or about the 10th April, 2007, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, forged a certain document to wit: statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria in account number: 10382175, wherein you falsely claimed that the Central Bank had in its custody the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 in favour of Goldmatic Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 467(2) (i) of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”