A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja today arraigned First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and three other defendants over alleged forgery and mortgage fraud.
Aside from First City Monument Bank (FCMB), the other defendants include; Okogun Polycarp, Batik Line International Limited, and Bolaji Adebajo, who is currently at large, reports Daily Independent.
At the resumption of proceedings, when the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty to the four counts preferred against them by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police.
The first defendant, Okogun Polycarp, took the plea for himself and on behalf of FCMB and Batik Line International Limited.
Following the defendants’ not-guilty pleas, the court ordered their remand in the correctional center.
Prosecution counsel M. Daniel Apochi urged the court to remand the defendant in custody.
In response, defense counsel M.O. Abdul informed the court that the defense had filed a bail application on behalf of the defendants.
He noted that the application, dated March 10, had also been served on the prosecution.
Following the submissions by the counsel, Justice Ijelu, ordered the remand of the 1st defendant (Polycarp) in prison pending the hearing of his bail application.
He however adjourned the matter till March 24 for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of the trial.
The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police has filed a four-count charge against the defendants, including conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, and fraudulent conversion, in violation of Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecution alleges that between 2008 and 2009, the defendants conspired to forge the signature of Mrs. Grace Adenike Akinwusi on several legal documents, including an authority to create a legal mortgage, a deed of assignment, an irrevocable power of attorney, and a memorandum of understanding.
These forged documents were allegedly used to fraudulently convert her property at No.5B, Sasegbon Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The second count accuses the defendants of forgery, in violation of Sections 363(1)(a), (b), and 368(3)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, while the third count pertains to the fraudulent use of false documents under Section 366(1).
The fourth count charges FCMB and the other defendants with theft under Sections 280(1)(6), 280(1)(2), and 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law.
They are alleged to have stolen the property at No. 5B, Sasegbon Street by dishonestly converting it for personal use through forged documents.
