EFCC Drags Globacom, Israni To Court Over $6.7m Fraud

EFCC Drags Globacom, Israni To Court Over $6.7m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission yesterday charged  telecommunications company, Globacom Limited and its Head of Marketing Department, Ashok Israni, before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja over an alleged $6,786,674.61 fraud.

The Globacom and Israni were dragged before the court presided over by Justice Olusola Williams on a one count charge by the anti-graft agency.

The one count charge 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 USD6,786,674.64 on the understanding that the benefit will be paid for, which pretence you knew to be false."

The EFCC maintained 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, the planned arraignment of the defendants could not go on Monday, as they were not in court.

The prosecutor, A.B.C. Ozioko, told the court that the EFCC was making efforts to produce Israni, who had been granted an administrative bail by the anti-graft agency.

Ozioko said, "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," the lawyer stated.

Based on the development, Justice Williams adjourned the case till May 15 for the arraignment of the defendants.