Ex-PDP BoT Female Member, Christy Silas, Arraigned Over N35m Fraud

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

Former member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees and managing director, Yaklabbs Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Christy Tafida Silas, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly defrauding an investment firm, Virtue One Global Investment Ltd of the sum of N35million.

Silas, 53, was accused of obtaining the said sum under false pretence following a petition by the management of Virtue One Global Investment Ltd to the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Special Fraud Unit PSFU at Ikoyi, Lagos.

The businesswoman was arrested by a team led by Inspector Kayode Adeleke on the instruction of the PSFU CP, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde following the petition that she used her firm (Yaklabbs Petroleum Nigeria Ltd) to obtain N35million from the Investment Company with an agreement to pay back within an agreed time but instead she failed to pay back as promised.

The accused was then charged before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on three-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence and issuance of three dud cheques.

Police counsel, Supol Chukwu Agwu informed the court in charge No B/73/2018 that the accused committed the offence between August 2015 and 2017 at Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Agwu told the court that the accused with the pretext of paying back the money issued three dud cheques with Nos: 00000296, 00000297 and 00000298 to the complainant but when those cheques were presented in the bank for payment, it was rejected due to lack of funds in the accused accounts.

Agwu said the offences committed were punishable under Sections 411, 314(a) and (b) of the criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.

Silas, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence in the open court and Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku granted her bail in the sum of N2million with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must deposit his International Passport with the Court.

Botoku adjourned the case till 27 September 2018 for mention and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos till she perfected the bail conditions.

Gombe State-born Silas was also a former Chairman of the Board of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority.

In 2016, she was also embroiled in a N25million debt saga in which she dragged Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to an FCT High Court to ensure that her fundamental rights were not breached by the anti-graft agency.