DSS accuses man of attempting to print counterfeit N20bn

The Department of State Services on Monday commenced the trial
of one Mr John Elem, who was accused of attempting to print
counterfeit naira notes, worth N20bn.

Elem was charged before Justice Saliu Saidu at the Federal High
Court in Lagos.

The prosecuting counsel for the DSS, E.K. Ugwu, said the
defendant violated the provisions of “the Counterfeit Currency
Offences Act, 2004.”

At the opening of trial in the case on Monday, the DSS Principal
Officer in Charge of Investigation at the agency’s Ikoyi, Lagos
office, Peter Uche, testified as the first prosecution witness
against Edem.

Uche, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Ugwu, told
the court that the DSS received a petition against Edem in December
2016.

He said the petition, authored by one Mr Francis Okowa, was
delivered to him in his office on December 7, 2016, about 4pm by
one Mr Grant from the law firm of Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN).

According to the witness, the petitioner, a client of Rickey
Tarfa’s chamber, alleged in his petition that the defendant, Edem,
was plotting to print naira notes, worth N20bn.

“Based on the petition, I went to my director and immediately a
team was constituted to identify and arrest him (Edem).

“The following day, around 2pm, we were able to apprehend the
suspect along Governor’s Drive, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi.

“The team was split into two; one to go and search his house
while the other was to search his company.

“I led the team that went to his house on Banana Island in the
evening of the same day.

“We went into the house; we recovered items that we believe
support the petition. Some of the items we recovered were 92 pieces
of golden colour holograms, a textbook and handbooks on how to
print currencies. We also recovered a manual numbering machine,”
Uche told the judge.

He added that he took two statements from Edem on December 9 and
11, 2016, adding that though the defendant denied the allegation,
the items recovered from his house supported the petitioner’s
claims against him.

Justice Saidu admitted in evidence the 92 pieces of golden
colour holograms, which the witness said were recovered from the
closet in Edem’s master bedroom.

The judge equally admitted in evidence a textbook with the
title, ‘Optical Document on Security,’ and the handbooks said to
contain instructions on how to print currencies and the manual
numbering machine.

The two statements by the defendant were also admitted as
exhibits.

The defence lawyer, Idris Faro, sought an adjournment to
cross-examine the witness.

Justice Saidu adjourned till Tuesday for further
proceedings.