KINGSLEY EBERE
The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested and arraigned a man, Kingsley Chinonye Unije, before Court for allegedly using a dead woman’s name to defraud a victim to the tune of the sum of N340m in Enugu State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports the defendant, Unije, was charged for forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N340 million under the Criminal law of the State before Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
The defendant, Unije, was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on forgery, obtaining money by false and money laundering which attracts several years of imprisonment.
Count one of the charges read: “That you KINGSLEY CHINONYE UNIJE sometime between May and 2022 in Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N170,000,000.00 from Igwe Cosmas Ezeumeh under the false pretense that you were selling to him two landed property known as plot 81 and 304 at New layout Enugu with the consent of Late Mrs Victoria Unije which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud-related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same act”.
Another count read: “That you KINGSLEY CHINONYE UNIJE sometime between May and June, 2022, in Enugu State, within the Jurisdiction of the Federal high court of Nigeria converted the sum of (120,000,000.00) by purchasing two landed properties in your personal name, and one in the name of Michael Emeka Bernard knowing that the said money formed part of your unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same act”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Al’qasim Jaafar, asked for a trial date since he pleaded not guilty to enable the operatives to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Beatrice Nwatueze, prayed the Court for the bail on behalf of her client.
After listening to both counsels, Justice Umar remanded the suspect in a Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till 30th January, 2024, for hearing of the bail application.