EFCC arraigns businessman over $345,000 fraud

A Lagos based businessman Mr. Rowland Okpoko and his company, Bits Travel and Tours Ltd have been arraigned before an Ikeja High Court for fraud. In a three count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and issuance of dud cheques, the accused was alleged to have fraudulently converted the sum of $345,000 property of Oil Serv Limited in August 2007.

The accused was also alleged to have fraudulently issued two Washington Mutual Bank Houston Texas USA cheques dated February 15 th 2008 for the sum of $150,000 each payable to Oil Serv Limited which were dishonoured on presentation for lack of sufficient funds in the account.

When the charges were read to the accused Wednesday March 11,2009, he pleaded not guilty. The trial Judge, Justice (Mrs.) Onyeador ordered him remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the case to Friday 13 th March, 2009 when the bail application will be argued. He is however yet to breathe the air of freedom as he has since remained in the EFCC custody.

In the petition to EFCC, the complainant, a senior Manager of Oil serv limited had sometime in 2007 contacted the accused, who operates a travel agency, to arrange for his summer holiday trip to Dallas, USA. He agreed and charged the company $3,500 but $350,000 was mistakenly transferred to Okpoko’s account.

When the mistake was detected, according to the petitioner, the accused refused to refund the money on the excuse that he was being investigated by US authorities over the money and since then, he had been playing hide and seek.