EFCC to Innocent Chukwuma: We are coming for you
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the defendants were said to have forged a bill of lading numbered 598286020 of maersk line limited and 11007950841 of mutsui o.s.k. line by knowingly putting a false gtb stamp and signature of the bank staff1 the economic and financial crimes commission efcc has vowed to ensure that the chairman innoson motors nigeria limited innocent chukwuma is arrested to face a fraud charge in court1 the judge struck out the case after the efcc failed to produce chukwuma in court to face trial1 chukwuma and his company innoson motors nigeria limited were to be arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to obtain by false pretences obtaining by false pretence stealing and forgery1 the defendants allegedly committed the offences between 2009 and july 2011 in lagos1 the defendants were alleged to have conspired to obtain by false pretences containers of motorcycles spare parts and raw materials property of guaranty trust bank from mitsui osk lines limited apapa lagos1 they were also alleged to have fraudulently induced staff of mitsui osk and maersk line to deliver to them via their clearing agents the goods that were imported from china in the name of gtb by falsely pretending that they were authorized by the bank to clear the goods1 the commission made the vow wednesday after justice olusola williams of the special offences court sitting in ikeja lagos struck out the case of fraud it instituted against chukwuma1 the alleged fraud was to enable the forged documents to be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of any person within lagos or elsewhere1 however since the suit was instituted first before justice mojisola dada of the same court the defendant has refused to appear in court to face his trial1 in a short ruling today justice williams held that it was the responsibility of the efcc to produce him in court1 this court is not an investigator or a prosecutor. this court cannot waste precious judicial time prosecuting a matter that is going nowhere1 this is a criminal matter that can be instituted anytime the prosecution is ready. the court hereby strikes out the matter the judge held1 justice dada on june 22 2018 stepped down from presiding over the matter on the recommendation of the national judicial council njc1 all efforts by the efcc to arraign the defendant before justice dada on five consecutive occasions failed despite being declared wanted on may 23 2018 and also procuring a bench warrant for his arrest1