EFCC charges Globacom with $6.7m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has charged
telecommunications company, Globacom Limited, before the Lagos
State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for an alleged fraud of
$6,786,674.61.

The firm was charged alongside its Indian Chief Marketing
Officer, Ashok Israni, who was listed as the first defendant in the
case.

The one count filed before Justice A.O. Williams against the
defendants, read, “Ashok Israni and Globacom Limited, sometime in
2008 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to
defraud, induced Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC, Dubai, United Arab
Emirates to confer a benefit on you by permitting Emitac Mobile
Solutions LLC to provide you with Blackberry solutions services,
valued at USD 6,786,674.64 on the understanding that the benefit
will be paid for, which pretence you knew to be false.”

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. A.B.C. Ozioko, who
signed the charge sheet, claimed that the firm and Israni acted
contrary to Section 1(2)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other
Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.

However, when the case was called in court on Monday, the
defendants were not in court.

The prosecutor, Ozioko, said the EFCC was making efforts to
produce Israni, who had been granted an administrative bail by the
anti-graft agency.

“My lord, we are sorry we are not able to produce the
defendants.

“As part of efforts to ensure that trial commences, we brought
the complainants all the way from Dubai.

“We have no choice but to seek a date for arraignment,” he
said.

In the circumstance, Justice Williams adjourned the case till
May 15, 2018 for the arraignment of the defendants.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has charged
telecommunications company, Globacom Limited, before the Lagos
State Special Offences Court in Ikeja for an alleged fraud of
$6,786,674.61.

The firm was charged alongside its Indian Chief Marketing
Officer, Ashok Israni, who was listed as the first defendant in the
case.

The one count filed before Justice A.O. Williams against the
defendants, read, “Ashok Israni and Globacom Limited, sometime in
2008 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to
defraud, induced Emitac Mobile Solutions LLC, Dubai, United Arab
Emirates to confer a benefit on you by permitting Emitac Mobile
Solutions LLC to provide you with Blackberry solutions services,
valued at USD 6,786,674.64 on the understanding that the benefit
will be paid for, which pretence you knew to be false.”

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. A.B.C. Ozioko, who
signed the charge sheet, claimed that the firm and Israni acted
contrary to Section 1(2)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other
Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.

However, when the case was called in court on Monday, the
defendants were not in court.

The prosecutor, Ozioko, said the EFCC was making efforts to
produce Israni, who had been granted an administrative bail by the
anti-graft agency.

“My lord, we are sorry we are not able to produce the
defendants.

“As part of efforts to ensure that trial commences, we brought
the complainants all the way from Dubai.

“We have no choice but to seek a date for arraignment,” he
said.

In the circumstance, Justice Williams adjourned the case till
May 15, 2018 for the arraignment of the defendants.