The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned leading Nigeria telecommunication firm, Globacom Nigeria Limited and its Indian Chief Marketing Officer, Ashok Israni, before Justice A.O. Williams of the Lagos State Special Offences Court Ikeja, over an alleged fraud of $6,786,674.61.
In the one count charge against the company and its chief marketing officer, EFCC said, “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 pretense you knew to be false.”
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. A.B.C. Ozioko, said Globacom and Israni acted contrary to Section 1(2)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
The defendants did not show up in court on Monday, leading to the presiding Judge adjourning the case till May 15, 2018, for the arraignment of the defendants.
The prosecutor pointed out that EFCC has made 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.mAs 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,” the EFCC prosecuting counsel said before the adjournment of the suit.
