Taxman Charged For Alleged N87.5m Fraud Gets N50m Bail

Mr. Benson Royal Enyinnah, a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, who was charged before a Lagos Federal High Court, on charges bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and fraud of N87, 557, 600 million, was today, admitted on bail to the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.

The defendant, who is also an oil and gas marketer, was arraigned before the Court presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, by the men of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos, in a charge marked FHC/L/451c/22, on August 24, on the alleged offences.

He was charged alongside his wife, Nneka Glory Benson, said to be at large, and his three companies.

The companies, which he allegedly used as a conduit pipe to defraud his victims are Gloroy Energy Company Limited; Petroyal Energy Company Limited and Glonnek Energy Resources.

He was alleged to have defrauded Obimma Benedicta Chinazor; Chioma Ifeanyichukwu; Vivian Ifeoma Ndukwu; Chidiebere A. Okoli, and Greenland Energy Limited, the sums of N27, 477, 600 million; N15. 5 million; N28,980 million; N15. 6 million and N20.850 million respectively.

On his arraignment, the prosecutor, Mr Chukwu Agwu, had told the Court that the defendant and his wife, who is said to be at large, committed the offences between 2021 and May 2022. Adding that the offences contravened Sections 8 (a) and 1(1)(a), (b) and (c); of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

The defendant had denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Aluko, while delivering the ruling on the defendant’s bail application today, admitted him on bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in the like sum.

The judge further ordered that one of the sureties must be an owner of a fully developed property with verifiable title documents within the Court’s jurisdiction. And that other surety must be a Government worker Grade Level 15 and above, or, a businessman with a well-funded account.

The judge also ordered that the sureties must have evidence of three years of tax payment. And that the defendant should deposit his international passport with the Court’s Registrar.

Justice Aluko while adjourning the matter till October 21, for trial, ordered that the defendant continue to be in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till when the bail terms are fulfilled.

*Pix: the defendant with his plaque after his investiture as a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in 2017*