EFCC Re-arraigns Lovers over N17.5m Charcoal
Fraud
The Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, re-arraigned
one Alice Peace John, alongside her boyfriend, Fadi Alloush
before Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for
fraud in the sale of charcoal.
The duo were dragged to the court on three-count
charges of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining the sum of N17,
500, 000.00 (Seventeen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only)
under false pretences.
One of the charges read, “That you Fadi Alloush and Alice Peace
John between the 18th October, 2019 and 23rd December, 2019 at
Ibadan, within Ibadan Judicial Division of this honourable court,
did commit an illegal act to wit: stealing of the sum of
N17,500,000 (Seventeen Million and Five Hundred
Thousand Naira only) , property of Coco-Dor Nigeria Limited and
Houssam Nasreddine.”
The offence is contrary to Section 390 of the Criminal Code
Laws, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, following
which prosecution counsel, Dr. Ben Ubi, applied for a trial
date, while defence counsel, Olukunle Kamisi prayed the court to
allow the bail earlier granted the defendants subsist.
Justice Taiwo granted the defendants’ prayer.
According to the judge, “The bail shall subsist and that in the
event where there is delay on the defendants’ part, their bail will
be revoked.” He adjourned the matter till October 8,
2020 for trial.
It could be recalled that the defendants were initially
arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High
Court on March 17, 2020 but had to be re-arraigned on
Wednesday following the reassignment of the case to Justice
Taiwo.
The defendants’ journey to the dock stretched from January to
December 2019, when the victim, Houssam Nasreddine transferred a
total sum of N17, 500, 000.00 to the account of the first
defendant, John, for the purchase of charcoal from
Iwere lle, Oyo State for export, which the defendant bought and
loaded in containers at the Hapag LLOYD Shipping Company, Apapa,
Lagos for exportation, but rather than sell the goods
in the name of the rightful owner, she allegedly connived with her
boyfriend, Alloush and transferred the ownership of the goods and
sold them off.
The petitioner added that all efforts he made to retrieve either
the charcoal or his money were frustrated by the defendants.
Dele Oyewale,
Head, Media & Publicity.
16/09/2020.