Admin l Friday, December 29,2017
IKOYI, Lagos – The Special Fraud Unit (SFU), of Nigeria Police today arraigned Managing Director of Picket Suites and Services Limited, Mr. Abiodun Adisa before a Federal High Court, Lagos, for issuing dud cheque of N130 million.
He was arraigned on a 15 count-charge. SFU in the charge marked FHC/L/461C/2017, stated that the accused had between August 22, 2016 and June 30, 2017, issued 15 Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) cheques to one Okechukwu Enelameh, of Fredliz Estates Limited, in settlement of his indebtedness to the company for three months but that upon presenting the cheques for payment, they were returned dishonoured for lack of funds in the accused person’s account.
SFU through its prosecutor, Mr. Slyvester Azubike, listed the cheque numbers issued by the accused person as follows: 53547337, 53547338, 53547339, 53547340, 53547341, 53547342, 53547349, 53547350, 53547343, 53547344, 53547345, 53547346, 53547347, 53547348 and 53547364.
According to the prosecutor, Mr. Slyvester Azubike, the offence is punishable under section 1(a)(i) of the Dishonoured Cheques (offences) Act Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the not guilty plea by the accused, his lawyer, Mr. Adewale Olawoyin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), pleaded with the court to grant his client bail in liberal terms, pending the trial.
Mr. Olawoyin (SAN) told the court that the bail application was pursuant to section 158 and 163 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, and Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
Responding, the prosecutor, Mr. Azubike filed 15 paragraph counter-affidavit, adding that the nature of the accused person’s sickness was unknown to the police, and that the medical report attached with the bail application was from unknown government hospital in Nigeria.
After listening to the submissions of both parties, the presiding judge, Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari, ordered that the accused be remanded in prisons custody, adjourned till January 3, 2018, for ruling on the bail application.
