AMERICAN FRAUDSTER, MARCO RAMIREZ LOSES BID TO VARY BAIL CONDITIONS

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – American fraudster, Marco Ramirez on today failed in his bid to vary his bail conditions before an Ikeja High Court. Marco Ramirez is on trial for defrauding three Nigerians $565,000 in a green card scam.

Vacation judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, rejected his application, noting that “there is nothing before this court to support his claims.

“The application is dismissed and I order that the file should be returned to the registry”, he ruled, stressing that the application cannot be heard because Ramirez was not present in court and that he could not overrule Justice Oyefeso the judge handling the case since the application was incompetent because there was nothing before the court to prove Ramirez’s alleged ill health.

Earlier during proceedings, Ramirez who has been cooling his head in Kirikiri Prison for over two months had approached the court through his lawyer, Mr Ademola Adefolaju to vary the bail conditions granted to him on July 10 by Justice Josephine Oyefeso.

“The defendant is in custody that is why he is not here, we will like my Lord to vary the bail conditions, the defendant has been unable to get an executive director of a company as a surety,” Adefolaju said.

Mr M.F Owede, the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) m told the court that Ramirez was an international fugitive.

“The defendant is a fugitive in the U.S.A., and he is already flagged by the interpol, despite this he was still granted bail on liberal terms,”Owede said. The EFCC had charged Ramirez with a 16-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretences.

According to the anti-graft agency, Ramirez, the Managing Director of three companies – USA Now Plc., Eagleford Instalodge Group and USA Now Capital Group – committed the offences between February 2013 and August 2013.

EFCC alleged that Ramirez fraudulently received 545,000 dollars from Godson Echejue to invest in his company, Eagleford Instalodge Group, in order to procure an American green card (residence permit) for him (Echejue).

He also allegedly received 10,000 dollars from Abubakar Umar through a non-existent investment programme in the U.S., which was billed to make Mr. Umar eligible to obtain an American passport.

The EFCC also accused Mr. Ramirez of illegally receiving 10,000 dollars from one Olukayode Sodimu under the pretext that the funds were facilitation fees with the American Immigration Services for an American green card.

Justice Josephine Oyesfeso had on July 10, granted Ramirez bail of $250,000 bail or its naira equivalent with two sureties in like sum. Sureties must be resident in Lagos and must be a director of a reputable company with landed property in Lagos State.