MICHAEL AKINOLA
The CEO of Just Series Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Peace Oluwabiyi, has landed in trouble for allegedly issuing N13m dud cheque to a customer, Nuru Bello, over an undisclosed business transactions in Oyo State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the business transaction took place at Ibadan.
She was alleged to have issued the dud cheque and when the beneficiary went to bank to cash the money, it was not honoured.
The matter was reported to the Police and she was arrested. She was consequently charged before Justice O.A. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, over the alleged fraud.
The defendant, Peace Oluwabiyi, was arraigned alongside her company, Just Series Nigeria Limited, by the EFCC on a one-count charge bordering on the issuance of dishonoured cheque under the Criminal law of the State.
The charge read: “That you, Oluwabiyi Peace and Just Series Nigeria Limited, on or about the 29th of June, 2021, at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, issued First City Monument Bank Plc Cheque No. 0037862154, dated 29th of June, 2021 in the sum of N13, 000, 000.00, made payable to Nuru Bello, which when presented for payment within three months was dishonoured on the grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to the credit of the account on which the Cheque was drawn, thereby committed the offence of issuance of dishonoured cheque contrary to Sections 1 (1) (a) and 1 (1) (i) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act, Cap D 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
However, she pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to her.
The prosecution counsel, Mabas Mabur, asked the Court to remand her in custody at the correctional centre and fix a trial date since she pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the alleged offence.
The defence counsel, A.A. Maisolati, informed the Court of a bail application filed and served on the prosecution on behalf of his client and prayed the Court to admit his client on bail in most liberal terms.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Adeyemi, subsequently admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N5 million and two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood.
The Court also ordered that the sureties must be property owners in Oyo State and the addresses must be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned while the defendant was remanded in custody pending when she will perfect her bail conditions.